By: Natasha Archary
South African men are reluctant to take the Covid-19 vaccines and more women than men have been vaccinated in Gauteng.
According to a Health Department report, men over the age of 35-years are not taking the vaccines at the same rate as women.
Currently, the statistics in the province are as follows:
- Female Vaccinations in Gauteng – 2,095 251
- Male Vaccinations in Gauteng – 1,724 892
The pattern is drastically different to other parts of the world where the vaccine uptake has been championed by more men than women.
In the U.S, 380 million does have been administered so far. In the last week, an average of 788, 337 doses per day were issued.
More than 5.76 billion doses have been administered across 184 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate is roughly 33.6 million doses a day.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla says, “Our female compatriots are leading in coming forward to be vaccinated – 60% of the women against 40% of men. So, we again call on male counterparts to come forward and register. We also continue to vaccinate at workplaces, farms and mines and factories.”
While there is insufficient research to determine why South African men are reluctant to get vaccinated, research into men’s attitudes towards HIV were used to provide insight.
Research on men’s access to HIV testing and treatment has shown men are less likely to test for HIV, and once they know they are HIV-positive, less likely to access treatment, and achieve viral supression.
Misinformation around the vaccine causing erectile dysfunction has been circulating in the country and despite many health professionals advocating that this is ill-informed, fears remain high.
Also read: No Covid-19 vaccines for learners
