Bhekisisa

One in three South Africans live in remote, rural areas. This means it’s crucial to reach such areas with COVID vaccines. Here are five solutions from the provinces leading the immunisation race.

Millions of South Africans in their 20s have applied for the COVID-19 relief grant. But at R350 a month, this is not enough to cover a person’s basic food requirements — and is an indicator of the increasing dependency of young adults on grants.

Pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer have said low vaccine uptake in Africa is due to increasing hesitancy on the continent. But the truth is inequitable distribution of COVID vaccines have left Africa as a vaccine desert.

Are you confused about COVID vaccines? A lot of young people are on the fence about whether they should get their jab or not. To put your mind at ease, we had an infectious diseases expert break it down.

Early pandemic research pointed to smokers not being at risk of severe COVID-19. This turned out to be false. Here’s why the slow pace of science means it’s easy for people to latch onto extraordinary claims despite a lack of strong evidence.

Early polls showed that two-thirds of adults were willing to get a COVID vaccine when it became available. But this hasn’t necessarily translated into actual uptake. Around half of people are on the fence when it comes to getting their jab. Here’s how to get them on board.

Rural provinces such the Eastern Cape and Limpopo are winning South Africa’s vaccination race. Here are the problems the far-flung vaccine sites have faced and how they were solved.

The scientific process that produced COVID vaccines is complex, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. It’s no more confusing than making a hamburger. Find out why in this short video.

It’s too soon to tell what effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on teen pregnancies. But here’s what the data shows so far.

How do you know if you are affected by long COVID? Find out from Dr Rubeshan Perumal, head of the long COVID clinic at Groote Schuur hospital.