Currently, the registration process is exclusively aimed at healthcare workers but will be expanded to include vaccinees in all other phases of the programme.

In a briefing last week, the department of health made it clear that the platform will be used to allocate vaccines to everyone in the country.

The online EVDS platform, which works on both smartphones and desktop browsers, will assist the government in tracking its supply chain, and in allocating appointment slots to registered users.

The system also allows you to pre-book vaccination appointments according to your nearest and most convenient healthcare facility.

South Africa’s first jabs are due to be administered to frontline healthcare workers from the middle of February, with phase two of the programme – targeting essential employees, the elderly and those with comorbidities – expected to begin in May.

The national department of health, as sole administrators of the EVDS, note that vaccination and enrolment on the system is voluntary.

The platform’s terms and conditions note that “enrolment is not a guarantee of vaccination”.

You can access the registration platform at https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za.

The online registration process follows four steps, beginning with the input of an ID or passport number and ending with a confirmation SMS upon completion.

General Information

After providing a valid ID number (for South African residents) or passport number, the prospective vaccinee will be directed to the first step of the EVDS form which captures personal information. You must supply the following information:

• First name and surname
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Email address
• Cellphone number

Employment and medical aid

The second form asks for details of employment and medical insurance and will form the foundation of the department of health’s eligibility test.

On this form, the vaccinee will need to provide the following information:

• Name of primary employer
• Job title
• Occupational group (which currently includes approximately 15 options, ranging from artisan and support personnel to management)
• Patient facing status (for healthcare workers who do, or do not, interact directly with patients)
• Health professional (if the vaccinee is or is not registered with a statutory body)
• Medical aid scheme (which currently lists 15 medical aid companies, including Bonitas, Discovery Health, Medihelp, and Momentum Health). If insured, a medical aid number will be required.

Primary location of work and health establishment options

Step three includes drill-down menu options which must be completed in order to reveal a list of approved vaccination sites. Applicants must select the following according to their place of work/residence:

• Province
• District (according to district or metropolitan municipality)
• Sub-district (according to the local municipality)

Completing these fields will bring up a “health establishment” menu, which lists thousands of vaccination sites across South Africa. This list will be refined to include administration sites according to the detailed provincial, district and subdistrict information provided.

You can choose from health establishments, which currently include all major public and private hospitals, including those operated by Mediclinic and Netcare. The list also contains names of registered general practitioners (GPs) who operate out of private consulting rooms.

Pharmaceutical retail giants Clicks and Dis-Chem appear frequently throughout the list of vaccine-approved health establishments, alongside smaller, independent pharmacies. Community clinics are also included as options.

You will need to supply your work addresses. For those unemployed, listing a home address is accepted.

Terms and conditions

To complete the registration, applicants will need to accept the EVDS’ terms and conditions. Applicants also have the option of leaving a comment in the box provided.

Upon completion, the prospective vaccinee will receive a confirmation SMS from the national department of health, advising of further communication concerning the “next steps”.