COVID-19 vaccination

A booster shot is a second dose of the COVID-19 J&J vaccine, or a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. From January 2022, all South Africans aged 12 years and older may receive COVID-19 boosters as soon as they become eligible, to enhance immune protection.

Immunocompromised persons must get their booster shot 28 days after they received their first (J&J) or second (Pfizer) dose of vaccine. The Department of Health considers the following persons as immunocompromised:

• Individuals with the following conditions:
  
  • Haematological or immune malignancy
  • Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency disorder
  • HIV infection with CD4 count <200 cells/µL within the last 6 months
  • Asplenia

• Individuals receiving the following treatments:
  
  • High-dose steroids or systemic biologics (e.g. for autoimmune conditions)
  • Long-term renal dialysis
  • Solid organ or bone marrow transplant recipients

All other persons can receive the booster 60 days (two months) after the first J&J dose and 90 days (three months) after the second Pfizer dose.

As of 20 October 2021, registration for the COVID-19 vaccine has been opened to anyone aged 12 and older.

If you are 12 years or older, you can register online on the EVDS system.

Click on the link below to register:

The following alternative registration methods are also available:

• Send the word - ”Register” to the WhatsApp line 0600 123 456 and follow the prompts;
• Register via SMS by dialling *134*832#; or
• Phone the COVID-19 hotline on 0800 029 999.

Once registered, the process will be as follows:

• You will receive an SMS confirming your successful registration on the system.
• You will receive a follow-up SMS containing details of your –
  
  • EVDS registration number;
  • scheduled vaccination day and time; and
  • vaccination site (near your home or work, as indicated by you during registration).
• You can also go to your closest vaccination site or book your vaccination here.
• When you visit the site that is indicated in your SMS, please take your ID document and your Medihelp membership card along, as well as the registration code as confirmed in your SMS.
• If your vaccination requires two doses, you will receive a second date for the return visit.
• The vaccination centre will claim the cost of the vaccination and set administration fee from Medihelp, and you will not be required to pay anything for the vaccination.
• If you do not make a booking, you will still be automatically scheduled to receive your vaccination.

Click here to view a list of active vaccination sites in South Africa.

Should you prefer to be vaccinated at a Dis-Chem facility, click here to book a vaccination slot. You will require your EVDS registration number to book a vaccination slot at a Dis-Chem pharmacy. Dis-Chem will then submit a claim for the vaccine and the administering thereof to Medihelp.

Yes. The Government has indicated that you can get a mixture of the J&J and Pfizer vaccines against COVID-19. You just have to be fully vaccinated with the one, then ask for the other as a booster. Recipients of the J&J vaccine can get boosted after 60 days, while Pfizer recipients should wait 180 days.

Medihelp will pay the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine and the administering thereof in full, as it is a prescribed minimum benefit. We’ll be billed by the vaccination centres where members receive their vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccines may be co-administered with other vaccines, including the flu vaccine.

Vaccines teach your immune system to protect your body from a disease it has never encountered before. If your body then becomes infected with the disease, it will know how to fight it, your risk of developing serious symptoms is reduced and you will recover quicker than without a vaccination.

No. We have to keep adhering to all safety measures such as wearing masks until Government indicates that these measures can be changed.