We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/ScriptPLAYBOOK SLUG: SOUTH AFRICA UNDOCUMENTED VACCINE (TV)
HEADLINE: South Africa Helps Provide COVID Vaccines to Undocumented Immigrants
TEASER: The South African government, with the help of non-profits, has begun vaccinating undocumented immigrants to combat COVID-19.
PUBLISHED AT: Wednesday, 12/22/2021 2:30 pm
BYLINE: Zaheer Cassim
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Johannesburg
VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim
PRODUCER: Marcus Harton
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, BR
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA Original,
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 2:52
VID APPROVED BY: BR
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: Accompanying radio story))
((INTRO))
[[Undocumented immigrants living in South Africa have struggled to get a COVID-19 vaccine until now. The government, with the help of non-profit groups, has begun vaccinating thousands of people who prefer to remain off the books. For VOA, Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.]]
((NARRATOR))
In the December holiday season of giving, undocumented immigrants in South Africa are getting the gift of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The government - with the help of nonprofit groups - is offering the vaccine to the country’s estimated two million undocumented people in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Until now, many could not get vaccinated because they did not have the required identification but that changed after a lobbying effort by nonprofit groups.
Now the vaccines are being administered to undocumented persons at places such as this Johannesburg shelter.
((Julie Machin, NOAH CAN Volunteer)) (English)
“Some of our people, they not necessarily registered, they might be on asylum papers or something and obviously it's difficult to access vaccinations if you are not South African and there’s quite a lot of barriers to that. And so we just wanted to make an opportunity so it would be easy for people to get access to a vaccination.”
((VIDEO-VOA: pop up covid clinic))
((NARRATOR))
Many in this line receiving their first jab are not South African, including Rapheal Dube who is happy to get his shot.
((Raphael Dube, Undocumented Migrant)) ((English)
“You know what, we at the end of the time, we need to be vaccinated.”
((VIDEO-VOA: People getting vaccinated at other sites, hospitals in South Africa, hospitals))
((NARRATOR))
People living in South Africa must be registered on the Electronic Vaccination Data System to receive a vaccine. The system requires each person to have an identification number so that the government can track who was vaccinated, which vaccine each person received and follow up with the individual if needed.
This new program, only at selected sites, allows undocumented people to be given a unique identifier to be vaccinated and tracked for health purposes only.
The response according to Doctors Without Borders has been positive so far, but authorities need to build more trust before the program can be rolled out on a mass scale.
((Vinayak Bhardwaj, Doctors Without Borders )) (English )
“I think a lot of migrants are afraid of being exposed. They’re afraid that if they go out to go and get vaccinated then they might become subject to law enforcement, they also worried about their information being shared with the Department of Home Affairs. So as far as possible we hoping that the Department of Health can institute a process that, of course, achieves the legitimate public health goals that they are trying to pursue, but also that protects the anonymity of migrants.”
((NARRATOR))
U.N. agencies report one billion people are on the move because of conflict, violence, and climate change.
Officials say governments and aid groups must work together to ensure everyone has access to the vaccine to help bring the pandemic to a close.
((Zaheer Cassim, for VOA News, Johannesburg))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Topic TagsVaccine
South Africa
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 22, 2021 17:03 EST
Brand / Language ServiceUS Agency for Global Media
