The Health Department has announced that the vaccine Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended three COVID-19 vaccines that should be considered for implementation.
IoL reports that briefing the health portfolio committee, the Health Department’s technical adviser, Dr Aquina Thulare, said the recommended vaccines were Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer.
Thulare, however, said the MAC acknowledged that the recommendations were fluid and depend on the available information. “The information landscape is changing rapidly,” she said.
Thulare also said there were negotiations that were under way with Sputnik, Sinovac and Sinopharm manufacturers.
IoL reports that Sputnik and Sinovac suppliers were waiting SA Health Products Regulatory Agency (SAHPRA) approval and additional clinical data, while additional data was awaited from Sinopharm for regulatory approval.
Thulare also said all the AstraZeneca doses have been distributed to African Union countries that had indicated a willingness to use the vaccine.