From the VC’s Desk
Please add your voice to the discussion about mandatory vaccination at UCT
11 October 2021 | VC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng
Dear colleagues and students
The University of Cape Town (UCT) executive is supportive of a policy requiring mandatory vaccinations for UCT staff and students.
We wish to meet staff and students to share our position and the reasoning behind it, give the context to that position and engage and receive input.
The executive will, after taking into consideration the views of staff and students, form a final position on the matter that will then be tabled at Council at its meeting on Saturday, 16 October.
As part of starting this process, we have set up two initial information sessions to include you in this important discussion: one for students and one for staff.
Each session will include time for experts to present information on the science of vaccination and the UCT context. The meetings will take place on the MS TEAMS platform to allow you to submit questions and comments.
The information sessions will be held as follows:
- Staff engagement session
from 11:15 to 12:45 on Wednesday, 13 October 2021 - Student engagement session
from 10:15 to 11:45 on Thursday, 14 October 2021
It is important that you attend the session that is appropriate to you and that you submit any questions and comments you have so that the executive can be as well informed as possible before the first discussion at Council.
You are also invited to complete a short survey for staff and students expressing your views on a proposed policy. The survey will close on Thursday, 14 October at 18:00.
As many of you may be aware Senate voted overwhelmingly in favour of mandatory vaccination at their last meeting and the UCT College of Fellows has released a statement supporting mandatory vaccinations. We urge all UCT staff and students to attend the sessions so that we are able to hear your input and views on the matter.
I look forward to your participation at one of the sessions.
Please note that there is a lot of information on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinations available to you on a dedicated UCT webpage. Please study the information.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, I do encourage you to do so as that will help keep down the rate and the severity of COVID-19 infection. You and members of the general public are welcome to visit the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence, with access from Broad Street. The site is open from 08:00 to 15:00 on Monday to Friday. In the event that the centre will be open on a given Saturday, that will be announced on UCT’s social media channels.
Sincerely
Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor
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UCT’s response to COVID-19
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.
Campus communications
2022
UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre
On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.
With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi PhakengWith the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?
UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.
If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.
IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.