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HEALTH-VIRUS-SAFRICA-VACCINES
S.Africa goes for Johnson & Johnson vaccine: minister
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10, 2021 (AFP) – South Africa will begin its coronavirus
inoculation campaign with Johnson & Johnson vaccines, the health minister
said on Wednesday, after withholding the Oxford/AstraZeneca formula over
doubts about effectiveness.
The country worst-hit by the pandemic in Africa has suspended its vaccine
rollout — meant to begin with Oxford/AstraZeneca this week — after
scientists found the shot failed to prevent mild and moderate illness caused
by a local virus variant known as 501Y.V2.
“Given the outcomes of the efficacy studies…, (government) will continue
with the planned phase one vaccination using the Johnson & Johnson vaccines
instead of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told a
press briefing.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been proven effective against the
501Y.V2 variant.”
He did not say when immunisation would begin.
To date South Africa has ordered nine million doses of the Johnson &
Johnson vaccines, of which a small shipment is expected to arrive next week.
However, the first consignment will probably be used as “research stock,”
Mkhize said.
South African pharmaceutical giant Aspen, a contracted Johnson & Johnson
vaccine manufacturer, is striving to produce its first doses next month.
“They are very determined to fast-track this production in South Africa,”
Mkhize said, adding that the stock would then be available in April.
South Africa’s vaccination delay has set back an ambitious aim to inoculate
around 40 million people — 67 percent of the population — by the end of
2021.
The country was slow to catch on to the global vaccine scramble and only
received its first jabs on February 1.
The one million AstraZeneca shots were produced by the Serum Institute of
India, from which an additional 500,000 doses have been purchased.
South Africa is considering either selling or swapping these doses with
countries facing the original strain of coronavirus, said the minister,
insisting that nothing would go to waste.
Scientists have suggested administering some of the Oxford/AstraZeneca
vaccine to several thousand people in South Africa to see if it can still
prevent severe infection from the new variant.
Additional vaccines are being secured from US drugmaker Pfizer, and through
the World Health Organisation-backed Covax facility and the African Union.
South Africa is emerging from a second wave of coronavirus infections
largely fuelled by its virus variant, said to be more transmissible than the
original form.
The country has recorded close to 1.5 million cases and over 46,800 deaths.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1558 hrs