New guidelines on isolation, quarantine, and timing between vaccinations and boosters

Where are we now and what has changed?

A year into what some have called the largest vaccine campaign in history, we answer some important questions:

• How many people in South Africa are vaccinated?
• What's changed on the regulation front?
• Which vaccines are authorised for use in our country now? What's the protocol around being vaccinated?
• What do these recent changes mean for you?

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How long to wait between vaccine doses and booster shots

So far, around 10.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given and more than 4 billion people around the world are fully vaccinated.

Concerns about decreasing immunity and inadequate immune responses have prompted many countries to start giving extra doses. These include:

• Boosters for fully vaccinated people when the protection they have from their original doses has started to decline
• Extra vaccinations for people who have a weakened immune system because of illness or medicine they take.

The National Department of Health recently made some important changes to vaccine-dosing intervals - that is, how long you can wait between vaccinations - and gave guidelines on the mix of booster vaccines. These changes apply from 21 February 2022. In a nutshell:

• The interval between doses has been reduced. This means you don't have to wait as long between one vaccination and the next.
• People can have a booster that's different from the original vaccine they had if it's available and they choose to.

How long to wait between Pfizer vaccinations

For people over the age of 12 who haven't been vaccinated or have had their first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination, the interval (time) between dose one and dose two is 21 days (reduced from 42 days).

Your booster options

When it comes to boosters, we can now mix vaccine types. So, people over 18 who have had:

• Two Pfizer vaccine doses can get either a Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster 90 days after they got their second Pfizer dose (reduced from 180 days).
• One Johnson & Johnson vaccine dose can now have either a Johnson & Johnson or a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster 60 days after.

How do you decide which booster type to have?

The main factor in your decision is what vaccines are available. For guidance on the best booster for you, please chat to your healthcare professional.

The national Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) will also accommodate people who had their first vaccination outside South Africa and are now ready for a booster. They can register on the EVDS and receive a booster.

You don't have to wait between having your COVID-19 vaccination and flu vaccination

Flu vaccines will probably be available in the next few weeks and are highly recommended before winter.

You no longer have to wait 14 days between getting your COVID-19 vaccine and most other vaccines. You can now get many other vaccines at the same time you get your COVID-19 vaccine.

Changes to quarantine and isolation guidelines

In a nutshell:

• If you test positive for COVID-19 but have no symptoms, you do not have to isolate.
• If you test positive and have symptoms, you need to isolate for 7 days only.

On 31 January Adjusted Alert Level 1 regulations were introduced in South Africa. Cabinet decided to change the guidelines for isolation quarantine, based on:

• The course of the pandemic
• The levels of vaccination in the country
• The fact that studies show 60% to 80% of the population has immunity against COVID-19 (after the Omicron-led fourth wave of infection).

The new guidelines are set out below.

If you test positive for COVID-19:

If you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19:

How many people are vaccinated in South Africa?

By 20 February this year:

• Almost 31 million vaccines had been given to members in South African.
• Nearly 42% of the adult population (aged 18 and over) was fully vaccinated (mostly in Gauteng) and 47% of the adult population had received one dose.
• Almost 1,500,000 vaccines had been given to people aged between 12 and 17.
• 850,000 booster doses had been given.
• People aged 60 and older were the most vaccinated age group.

View this data and more by visiting the latest COVID-19 Vaccination Summary

On 18 February the National Department of Health launched the Youth Vaccination Programme at Tshwane TVET College. This is part of the ongoing efforts between the government and non-government organisations to increase vaccinations among young people. Youth between the ages of 18 and 34 are the least vaccinated population group in the country, with just over 5 million out of 17.7 million being vaccinated.

Which vaccines are available in South African?

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has registered and authorised certain COVID-19 vaccines, with conditions (which are based on the vaccine manufacturers sending safety, quality and efficacy data regularly). These are set out in the table below:

Although all four vaccines are authorised for use in South Africa, only the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently available as part of the National COVID-19 vaccine rollout progamme.

Get your vaccination today

Vaccinations are being given at public and private vaccination centres throughout the country.

Step 1 (compulsory): Register on the national EVDS

Anyone getting a vaccination in South Africa must register on the EVDS, as this required by the National Department of Health. Once you have registered, you will get a vaccination code. You must give the code to the person giving you your vaccination. The National Department of Health manages this process.

Step 2: Book your vaccination on Discovery's COVID-19 Vaccination Navigator

We will direct you to Discovery vaccination sites and other partner vaccination sites nationwide (including pharmacies, GP practices and hospitals, and dedicated vaccination sites).

The vaccination site at 1 Discovery Place in Sandton is open for COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. The site is also welcoming walk-ins for people aged 12 years and older, but you may need to wait for your vaccination if you haven't made a booking.

You can get more information on the process and book your vaccination using the Discovery COVID-19 Vaccination Portal.