Last Sunday, minister of health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that two-thirds of the SA population would be given the Covid-19 vaccine as the government aims for herd immunity. The vaccine, which will be rolled out in three phases, will see healthcare workers having first access. The second phase will see other essential workers such as teachers and police officers get vaccinated. In this phase, the elderly and people with comorbidities will also be included. But importantly, prisoners will also be prioritised.

There has been uproar on social media about the government’s plan to prioritise prisoners before the rest of the population. Many are arguing that prisoners should not be treated better than law-abiding citizens, and that they should be last to receive the vaccine...