July 2022 – On 1 October 2021, UNICEF South Africa Representative Christine Muhigana, joined South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa to launch the 'Vooma Vaccination Weekend.' This campaign came at a time when vaccination rates declined for all age groups and following a UNICEF South Africa poll that found only 55 percent of young people would get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The 'Vooma Vaccination Weekend' aims to mobilize citizens and people living in South Africa to get vaccinated. During Vooma Vaccination Weekends, vaccination centers and points are opened all day on Friday and Saturday in all corners of the country. Without needing an appointment, people simply need to visit a center with identity documents and get free vaccinations. The vulnerable persons were also prioritized during the Weekend of 8-10 April as per the StatsSA's COVID Vulnerability index. People without identity documents could go to the nearest vaccination site and receive this life-saving treatment.

To encourage more people to take the free COVID-19 vaccine, the National Department of Health launched the 'Vooma Vaccine Champions' (Vax Champs) on 12 November 2021 to invite everyone living in South Africa to become an ambassador for vaccination. Vax Champs are asked to educate themselves about COVID-19 and vaccines, promote vaccination to friends, family and neighbors on social media and in real life, and report issues and problems with vaccination in their area. People can join Vax Champs through WhatsApp and the official website, or by calling the National COVID Hotline if they don’t have smartphones.

The 'Vooma Vaccination Weekend' and 'Vooma Vaccine Champions' proved helpful in improving access and increasing the number of people vaccinated. By late 2021, the vaccination rate of youth aged 18-34 increased from 15.7% to 32.8%, and the cohort over 60 reached 67%. Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla said, "We need everyone in the country to support the vaccination campaign. Only by working together can we reach the 70% of the population we need to be vaccinated to save lives."