ROLLOUT PLAN WILL CONTINUE WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON- MINISTER MKHIZE.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced the change after the AstraZeneca vaccine was found to be less effective against the 501Y.V2 Covid-19 varriant. South Africa’s stock of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be swapped out and phase 1 of the vaccination will commence with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Government has delayed the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa after the research had revealed that it is less effective in the variant and that it would expire sooner than expected. At a media briefing on Wednesday morning, Mkhize announced that the government will resume with the rollout plan once it had received the vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson. He estimated that this could be as soon next week but said the date will be announced.

South Africa received its first million doses of the AstraZeneca last week and the first phase of the vaccination would target the health workers and it was set to start this work. The Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced the change after the AstraZeneca vaccine was found to be less effective against the 501Y.V2 Covid-19 varriant. South Africa’s stock of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be swapped out and phase 1 of the vaccination will commence with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Government has delayed the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa after the research had revealed that it is less effective in the variant and that it would expire sooner than expected. At a media briefing on Wednesday morning, Mkhize announced that the government will resume with the rollout plan once it had received the vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson. He estimated that this could be as soon next week but said the date will be announced.

South Africa received its first million doses of the AstraZeneca last week and the first phase of the vaccination would target the health workers and it was set to start this work.