As a new Covid-19 variant rears its head in South Africa, data has revealed that almost 45% of South Africans have not been vaccinated against the virus.
This number is highest in KwaZulu-Natal, where 57.7 percent of the province’s population has not received even one dose of the vaccine, states Statistics SA’s General Household Survey 2022, released on Thursday.
The new variant EG.5, named Eris, is said to not be any more dangerous or lethal than previous variants, but the health department has reiterated calls for people to get vaccinated.
Only 44.1 percent of people aged 12 and older were vaccinated at the time of the survey, some with booster shots. Another 6.9 percent were partially vaccinated.
With 58.8 percent of its population fully vaccinated, the Free State has the highest full vaccination rate, followed by the Western Cape with 56.7 percent. Only 35.8 percent of KZN’s population is vaccinated.
The new variant may not yet have given any cause for panic, but some countries have shown an increase in hospitalisations. Health experts have warned people living with comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, or who are older, to be careful.
The Stats SA data shows, however, that almost a quarter of South Africans over the age of 60 have not been vaccinated.
The first case of Eris was recorded in Gauteng this week and has been detected in more than 50 countries.
Like previous variants, symptoms of Eris include:
- Sore throat
- Runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing, with or without phlegm
- Headache
- Muscle ache