HEINEKEN SA provides shot in the arm to vaccination efforts

In an effort to provide a boost to Government’s vaccination efforts, particularly within the Midvaal Municipality, HEINEKEN South Africa set up a pop-up vaccination site at its Sedibeng Brewery for employees, outsourced service providers, and the employees of neighbouring businesses located in and around Sedibeng.

The pop-up vaccination site opened for three days on the brewer’s Sedibeng premises in mid-September, with the site operating from 09:00 until 16:00. Vaccine recipients did not have to be registered on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) to come to the pop-up site to get vaccinated, and all walk-ins were welcomed. The only requirement was for the recipients to have their ID and cellphone, as they had register via SMS, but this was done on site.

“To counter the very real possibility of a fourth wave of Covid-19 in November and December, the local vaccination drive efforts remain of paramount importance. By increasing access to vaccinations, we hope to help bring South Africa closer to herd/community immunity and thereby, increase the chances of life getting back to relative normality in a post-pandemic world. We are grateful to organisations and businesses encouraging their staff and communities to vaccinate,” says Executive Mayor, Alderman Bongani Baloyi for Midvaal Local Municipality.

Millicent Maroga, Corporate Affairs Director at HEINEKEN South Africa added that, “the health and safety of HEINEKEN’s employees is vital. Furthermore, a pillar of our business’s sustainability initiative, Brewing a Better World means we aim to have a positive impact within the communities in which we operate. Right now, as the public and private sectors collaborate to assist in the fulfilment of Government’s mission to curb the spread of the virus, one of the main ways of making a lasting positive impact is by assisting in making vaccines more accessible within the community.”

Being vaccinated reduces a person’s chances of getting Covid-19 and reduces the possibility of them needing to go on oxygen or to be hospitalised and admitted to ICU, should they test positive. In that eventuality, being vaccinated also helps reduce people’s chances of infecting others around them. All COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place at the vaccination site.