Making smart choices: Don’t delay vaccination

Every country that is ahead of South Africa as far as the trajectory of the pandemic is concerned, has experienced a 4th wave.

There is no reason to believe South Africa will escape a similar experience.

The scientists who are modeling the trajectory in South Africa are signaling that we will experience our 4th wave starting in the later half of October or early November 2021.

In 2020, Knysna saw the start of its 3rd wave during the week of November 1st eventually peaking the Week of January 3rd 2021.

During the Western Cape COVID press briefing on Thursday Dr. Kieth Cloete made this remark regarding what we are seeing from current data during the Western Cape 3rd wave:

“68% 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 87% 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 3 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 50 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘜𝘙𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘓𝘠 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘐𝘎𝘏 𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘒 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

Here is the smart thing to do:

Use the available data to protect yourself from severe disease, possible hospitalization and death BEFORE the start of the 4th wave.

The way to do this is to ensure you are fully vaccinated BEFORE the 4th wave starts. Remember, you are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or 2 weeks after the 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Let’s sketch a scenario. Let us assume the 4th wave begins the week of Oct 31st 2021. To be protected during this wave, you would need to have received your single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the very latest October 15th.

For full protection from the Pfizer vaccine you would also need to have received your 2nd dose by Oct 15th but because of the 42-day waiting period between doses, you would need to have received your 1st dose no later than September 3rd.

September 3rd is two weeks away! Don’t delay in getting your vaccine once you are eligible!

IMPORTANT: Of course the virus will continue to circulate until then and we all have a risk of being exposed to it at any time. The message is to get your vaccine as soon as you are eligible in order to ensure you are fully vaccinated BEFORE the start of the 4th wave.

Make smart choices