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The government is going with the global distribution scheme for the COVAX COVID-19 vaccine, with a committed purchase for 10% of its population of 58 million, a senior health official said Tuesday.
Khadija Jamaloodien, director of affordable medicines at the Health Ministry, told Reuters that South Africa had not yet signed the pledge agreement to participate in the COVAX facilities, but would do so once officials had completed the necessary administrative processes.
The country’s initial strategy is to protect the vulnerable, including healthcare workers and priority groups, he said.
A group of experts had advised the government to commit to purchasing coronavirus vaccines for 10% of its population through the COVAX facility, Reuters reported earlier this month.
The government has publicly expressed its support for COVAX, but has yet to say what percentage of the population it would seek to cover through the World Health Organization co-run facility, and whether it would opt for the facility’s committed purchase agreement.
South Africa has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections on the African continent, with more than 760,000 confirmed cases and more than 20,000 deaths to date.
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