"I feel that [the vaccine] has not been tested long enough. So, I am not having it," 93-year-old Ursula van Dyk from North West says.

Van Dyk is a resident of the Rotarus Home for Senior Citizens in Mahikeng.

While her fellow housemates look forward to finally receiving their Covid-19 vaccination, she is reluctant to take one - at least for now.

On Monday, South Africa started with Phase 2 of the public vaccination programme, with people aged 60 and above being given first preference.

Inoculations are being rolled out across 87 sites, and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the health department planned to increase the number of sites to 200 by the end of the week, News24 earlier reported.

Mahikeng Provincial Hospital is one of the sites conducting vaccinations in the North West, but some of the elderly, such as those from Rotarus, were expected to receive their jabs from the comfort of their homes.

Health officials were at Rotarus as early as 08:00 on Tuesday, preparing to vaccinate residents.

Delayed vaccinations

But although the screenings took place, it was later communicated the vaccination would take place on Wednesday instead.

Rotarus' manager, Eliz Botha, said 23 residents would be vaccinated.

While some of the grandmas and grandpas looked excited, Van Dyk told News24 she was not confident in the vaccine.She has lived at Rotarus since 2009 after moving from her farm.

I don't want to have it (the vaccine), and my family aren't keen on me having it either. I feel it hasn't been tested long enough, and so I am not keen to have it.

Seated on a couch in her room, Van Dyk said she was not worried about contracting the virus because she spent most of her time alone, unless she was at the dining hall eating. And when she does leave her room, she always wears her mask at all times when around other people.

She emphasised although she isolated herself from people, she was not "lonely and miserable".

Van Dyk said she spent most her time knitting and crocheting, if she was not on her laptop.

Reflecting on the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, she added she was not really bothered by the strict measures put in place because she had already been accustomed to being on her own.

Van Wyk said she had lived alone on her farm for 17 years after her husband died.

"Other elderly women had been attacked [on farms], so my daughter said 'either you come to live with us or you go into an old age home.' And so I said I know a lot of the people here, so I will come here."

She added although her family was not able to visit her, she managed without them, saying she phoned them a lot and they also sent her parcels.

Van Dyk said: "I don't feel [the vaccine] has been tested long enough. If it has been thoroughly tested and has proved to have been a successful vaccine, then I might have it."

Rotarus was among the first homes in Mahikeng whose residents were willing to take the jab, Botha said.

Meanwhile, Gretchen Smith, 65, and Komane Morule, 72, are excited about getting their jabs soon.

Warned not to take vaccine

An excited and energetic Smith willingly gave her arm to health officials when screening took place.

Smith said she had heard about the surge in India and was optimistic about getting the vaccine in order for her to be protected.

She added: "Although my son warned me not to take the vaccine, I think the Lord is so good for us; he gave people the knowledge to discover and refine the vaccine. I am very optimistic."

Smith said she had been at Rotarus for a year, moving from Lichtenberg.

"I enjoy it here, but I think the vaccine is necessary for all the old people."

Residents are lonely

Morule said he was thankful vaccines were finally here and he would get it too.

He had moved to Rotarus on 1 February 2020, and shortly after that, lockdown kicked in.

Morule added the only time he had left the old age home was when he was admitted to hospital and later returned.

"If I had gone out, I would have maybe contracted Covid-19, so I would say [I am thankful that] I am here."

He said many people at the home were longing to see their relatives during the lockdown, adding while he communicated regularly with his family, others did not have the means to do so.

"Before [moving to] Rotarus, I was employed in Mpumalanga, working as an internal service representative. I spent 24 years in Mpumalanga and I came back here around 2017. And I had been staying alone until I came here," Morule added.

Missing their families

Botha said the old age home housed people aged 60 and above and assisted them in all ways, from bathing and cooking their meals.

"We do things with them, activities [and] other stuff. We make video calls with them to their families."

She added Covid-19 and the lockdown period had hit the home hard, but thankfully, there were no cases reported at it.

Botha said the home had closed about three weeks before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown.

"All our residents were fine. We, however, did lose residents because of old age, and I think to a certain extent, it was because they were missing their families, and I think that had a huge impact as well.

"Of course, financially, it had a huge impact on us. We are struggling financially."