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COVID-19 vaccinations open to people over the age of 18

20 August 2021 | Story Department of Communication and Marketing

Dear Student,

As from today (20 August 2021), all people 18 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Register on the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme registration portal to get the vaccine.

Individuals aged 18 and older can get vaccinated at sites across the country – including the Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein and retail stores such as Clicks and Dischem.

Remember, you can walk into any vaccination site to register and vaccinate.

Here is a list of registered vaccination sites closest to the University of the Free State campuses:

- Boikhuco Old Age Home – Bloemfontein (Mangaung)

- MUCPP Community Health Centre in Rocklands – Bloemfontein (Mangaung)x

- Pelonomi Hospital – Bloemfontein (Mangaung)

- Standard Bank Building – Bloemfontein (Mangaung)

- Universitas Academic Hospital – Bloemfontein (Mangaung)

- Botshabelo Hospital – Botshabelo (Mangaung)

- Seemahale Secondary School – Botshabelo (Mangaung)

- Dr JS Moroka Hospital – Thaba Nchu (Mangaung)

- Dihlabeng Regional Hospital – Bethlehem, Dihlabeng (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

- Thabo Thokoza Secondary School – Dihlabeng (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

- Thekolohelong Old Age Home – Maluti-A-Phofung (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

- Senorita Nthlabathi District Hospital – Mantsopa (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

- Nketoana District Hospital – Nketoana (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

- Phumelela District Hospital – Phumelela (Thabo Mofutsanyana)

Vaccines are an important part of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Vaccines reduce the risk of getting a disease by working with your body to build protection.

Need more information on vaccines? Read our COVID-19 Vaccine Information booklet here.

Visit the UFS COVID-19 webpage for updated information.

News Archive

Researchers reach out across continents in giraffe research

2015-09-18

Dr Francois Deacon and Prof Fred Bercovitch
busy with field work.

Researcher Dr Francois Deacon from the Department of Animal, Wildlife, and Grassland Sciences at the University of the Free State is conducting research with renowned wildlife scientist, Prof Fred Bercovitch, from the Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology, Kyoto University Primate Research Institute in Japan.

Dr Deacon’s ground-breaking research has attracted international media attention. Together with Prof Nico Smit, he equipped giraffes with GPS collars, and conducted research based on this initiative. “Satellite tracking is proving to be extremely valuable in the wildlife environment. The unit is based on a mobile global two-way communication platform, utilising two-way data satellite communication, complete with GPS systems.”

Prof Bercovitch was involved with GPS tracking from elephants to koala bears.

Some of the highlights of the joint research on giraffes by Dr Deacon and Prof Bercovitch focus on:

• How much time do certain giraffes spend with, and away from, one another
• How do the home ranges of herds and individual giraffe overlap
• Do genetically-related animals spend more time together than non-genetically-related animals
• How much time do the young bulls, adult bulls, and dominant bulls spend with cow herds
• Herd interactions and social behaviours of giraffe
• The role of the veld and diet on animal behaviour and distribution

Their research article, “Gazing at a giraffe gyroscope: Where are we going?”, which was published in the African Journal of Ecology, assesses recent research by exploring five primary questions:

- How many (sub) species of giraffe exist?
- What are the dynamics of giraffe herds?
- How do giraffe communicate?
- What is the role of sexual selection in giraffe reproduction?
- How many giraffe reside in Africa?

They conclude this article by emphasising that the most essential issue is to develop conservation management plans that will save a wonderful species from extinction, and which will also enable scientists to conduct additional research aimed at answering their five questions.

In addition, they are working together on a grand proposal to get National Geographic to cover their work.

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