By time you read this, President Cyril Ramaphosa along with the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize and the first group of frontline health care workers will have received their jabs of the Covid-19 vaccine. This follows the arrival at OR Tambo airport last night of the first batch of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Although not received with as much fanfare as were the 1-million doses of the AstraZeneca jabs which landed here at the beginning of February, the fanfare will be playing out at various venues around the country from today as it is expected that most vaccination centres will be ready from today, 17 February 2021, to begin the vaccination programme.
The rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccines was put on hold when a clinical trial showed that it would not protect against mild to moderate Covid-19 caused by the new variant (501Y.V2). Thus the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which will be distributed across South Africa with immediate effect.
Commenting in a statement, President Ramaphosa said this latest batch has already been approved by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under the Sisonke protocol and will be rapidly dispatched to all provinces.
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By time you read this, President Cyril Ramaphosa along with the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize and the first group of frontline health care workers will have received their jabs of the Covid-19 vaccine. This follows the arrival at OR Tambo airport last night of the first batch of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Although not received with as much fanfare as were the 1-million doses of the AstraZeneca jabs which landed here at the beginning of February, the fanfare will be playing out at various venues around the country from today as it is expected that most vaccination centres will be ready from today, 17 February 2021, to begin the vaccination programme.
The rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccines was put on hold when a clinical trial showed that it would not protect against mild to moderate Covid-19 caused by the new variant (501Y.V2). Thus the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which will be distributed across South Africa with immediate effect.
Commenting in a statement, President Ramaphosa said this latest batch has already been approved by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under the Sisonke protocol and will be rapidly dispatched to all provinces.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown in extensive trials to be safe and efficacious and will protect our health care workers from illness and death from COVID-19,” he said, adding that to demonstrate confidence in this vaccine and help allay any fears people may have, he and the Minister of Health will join the first health care workers to receive the vaccine in Khayelitsha.
“We have called on leaders in various sectors and parts of the country to lead by example and get inoculated publicly. Through this vaccination programme, government aims to achieve population immunity to save lives and protect livelihoods. We have chosen vaccination and we call on all South Africans to choose vaccination and protect one another.
It’s a big day for South Africa.
