Why prisoners are a priority in vaccine rollout
19 Jan 2021
Prisoners will be vaccinated in phase two of the vaccine rollout programme, sparking fierce local and international debate. (David Harrison/M&G)
NEWS ANALYSIS
Who should be vaccinated against Covid-19 first? While in the main this question is a public health one, it has become a moral and political contentious issue, not just in South Africa but also in the rest of the world. Whereas there seems to be no question that frontline health workers must be the first group to receive the vaccine, the inclusion or exclusion of incarcerated persons in the next phase has sparked controversy.