Vooma Vaccination Week 3-10 December 2021 – Infopack & Toolkits

You don’t want to lose a loved one this festive season. Make sure everyone in your family 12 years and older are vaccinated urgently to face the variant and safely ride the 4th wave. It’s a race against time. Get vaccinated this Vooma Week at a site near you.

Vax before you Vai!

From RADIO PSA [transmitted on all SABC stations from 2nd December 2021]

1. PURPOSE
The Vooma Vaccination campaigns have driven increased uptake due to:
• Intense leadership visibility at sites
• Provinces keeping more sites open
• Increased media and communication focus during this time
The 3rd Vooma Vaccination campaign will run from the 3-10 December.

2. THE KEY FOCUS AREAS FOR VOOMA VACCINATION WEEK III
The third Vooma Weekend takes place at the beginning of the summer holidays, when:
• Schools are about to close.
• People are about to travel out of the cities and back to their homes, some across border.
• People congregate in shopping malls and on the beachfront and other recreational areas

3. WHAT WILL HAPPEN
• Existing sites will remain open, but the focus will shift over the weekend to pop-up sites in shopping malls, recreational areas, taxi ranks, stations and airports where there has not been a vaccination presence before.
• These pop-up sites will be marketed before-hand and should stay open for the week of 3-10 December to maximise uptake.
• Civil society and faith-based organisations and companies will be encouraged to set up soup kitchens and refreshment stands for people who come for vaccination.
• The Department of Basic Education will be approached to allow pop-up sites after exams in the following week.
• Partnering with the transport sector to maximise messaging at pit stops, rest areas and along the major provincial and national routes are being explored.

4. KEY MESSAGES
We need to stress urgency
“VACCINATION IS NOW MORE URGENT THAN EVER”

We need to appeal for family safety
“ENSURE THAT YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY IS VACCINATED”

We need to respond to the mood of the festive season
“THE BEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE OUR FAMILIES IS THE FREE VACCINATION”

We need to communicate to travellers
“VACCINATE BEFORE YOU VAI [LEAVE]”

We need to emphasize the importance of getting more people vaccinated
“VACCINATION IS OUR BEST WAY TO SAFELY RIDE THE 4TH WAVE”

We need to appeal to people, especially young adults about socialising
“VOOMA BEFORE YOU VOSHO”

And appeal to those travelling to visit family across borders
“VOOMA BEFORE YOU VISIT”

And finally to call on people going on holiday to consider everyone around them
“VOOMA BEFORE YOU VACAY”

5. MOBILISATION
The first two Vooma Weekends involved participation by leadership, driven by political leadership. This Vooma Week will be driven by local community  leadership and strong participation. This will entail one-on-one discussions, community imbizos and. These discussions will be taken to the media with the imbizos and discussions taking place in the form of talk shows on community radio and activation of networks and local structures.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If there’s a new variant why bother to vaccinate?
The new variant emphasizes and reminds us of the urgency to get everyone vaccinated fast. The more people we have vaccinated, the less chance the virus has of mutating. So sooner rather than later, especially as new variants and mutations will keep emerging.

Will the vaccine work against this new variant?
The vaccine remains our best defence against Covid-19.

I’m travelling home, can I take my vaccine when I get there?
It’s safest to take your vaccine before you leave. Don’t wait, vaccinate now. The vaccine’s protection, regardless of whether it is J&J or Pfizer is fully protective two weeks after the vaccination is administered so you’ll be safer on your travels if you vaccinate now.

I’m vaccinated, can I go to parties?
It’s important to observe all safety protocols. Keep gatherings small, keep them outdoors, and keep your mask on. Importantly make sure that your house is well ventilated by keeping all the windows and doors open.