What are reliable sources of COVID-19 information?

Wondering where you can find updated and reliable information about COVID-19 and the vaccine rollout? Visit these websites as your first source of information:

South African organisations:

• The South African government website is a reliable and official source of COVID-19 and vaccine information that is worth visiting. Check the National Department of Health's dedicated COVID-19 portal here
• The National Institute for Communicable Diseases' (NICD, which forms part of the National Health Laboratory Service) has a dedicated COVID-19 hub. The NICD can be relied on for daily COVID-19 infections statistics.
• The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAPRHA - part of the National Department of Health).
• The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).
• The South African Medical Journal (SAMJ).
• Africa Centres for Diseases and Control (Africa CDC) can be trusted as a source of COVID-19 resources, as well as daily updates and information on vaccination.

International organisations:

• The World Health Organization (WHO).
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC).
• The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).
• Johns Hopkins University
• Harvard Health, and the Harvard University COVID-19 resource center.
• The Mayo Clinic COVID-19 resource center.
• * The New England Journal of Medicine (NEMJ).

Writing about COVID-19 or vaccines? Check these tips!

The World Health Organization (WHO) www.who.int provides some tips for the media on how to professionally report about COVID-19 vaccines. Some of the WHO tips regarding misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines include:

• Don't just report the headline: Read the full study or report before publishing an article about it.
• Don't trust data automatically: Be aware of and willing to question stakeholders and data collection methodology.
• Use trusted and reliable sources: Reporting is only as good as its sources. Be sure to use expert and knowledgeable sources to inform your stories on COVID-19 and vaccines.
• State the source: When reporting on scientific studies, reports, case numbers and vaccines, name the source of the information to show credibility and allow readers to search for more information on the topic.

If you come across something you suspect to be fake news, log into Africa Check to check whether it's fact or fiction. Do your part to stop misinformation, so we can all help to slow the spread of fake news, fear, and COVID-19! You can also find reliable, clinically-verified and fact-checked information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Discovery's COVID-19 information hub here.