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South Africa’s daily statistics of new cases continue to break records as the world approaches massive Covid-19 vaccine launches.
On Wednesday, the Health Department confirmed that 17,710 new cases were registered.
The country recently hit the 1 million mark, with positive cases at 1,039,116 as of Wednesday night.
# COVID-19 Statistics in SA as of December 30.
Use the COVID Alert SA app to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community. Start using this privacy-preserving app today! Add your phone to the fight! Download the Covid Alert SA app now! https://t.co/ia2SVMTVF5 pic.twitter.com/M2IjQ3zBBZ
– Department of Health: COVID-19 (@ COVID_19_ZA) December 30, 2020
With cases increasing rapidly, due to a number of factors, uncertainty and frustration among the population regarding vaccines continues to grow.
As such, SABC’s Morning Live hosted a panel discussion on Thursday morning, with experts Dr. Anban Pillay, Safura Abdool Karim, and Professor Barry Schoub.
Pilllay is the deputy director general of the health department, Karim is a principal investigator with the South African Medical Research Council, and Schoub is the chair of the ministerial advisory committee on the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.
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The discussion laid out what plans are currently in place for South Africans to receive the vaccine, which is estimated to take place in the second quarter of 2021. The panel also answered questions from ordinary citizens and sought to distance itself from rumors and popular misconceptions.
When will SA get the vaccine?
Countries such as China, Great Britain, Argentina, and Russia have recently begun broad approval of the Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V vaccines, respectively. Vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are also on the table, the former being the only vaccine registered globally.
South Africa does not yet have a delivery date for the first batch of vaccines, which will be delivered by the Covax program next year.
Pillay quashed rumors that the first delivery date would be June next year, saying a firm date will be set in early January.
He explained that the Pfizer vaccine would not work in countries where keeping the drug below minus 70 degrees Celsius would be a struggle. South Africa is on that ship, with only two storage facilities that could properly store the vaccine.
Therefore, the country is “waiting” for vaccines that can be stored at refrigerator temperature, such as AstraZeneca, which is also a more affordable option, Pillay continued.
AstraZeneca is preparing to apply for registration in South Africa soon. Pfizer has not yet submitted the application and therefore has no stock to supply. It is also expected to be released soon. Information on the date of Johnson & Johnson’s clinical trial is not yet known.
But within the next month, the world will see a significant increase in vaccine activity, Pillay said.
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Schoub explained that vaccines are not being manufactured in South Africa. Aspen’s Nelson Mandela Bay facility is simply going to fill vaccine vials, but will not manufacture them.
However, if vaccine trials are to be conducted in South Africa, Schoub assured that this would mean that some secondary benefits would trickle down to our shores, with the added benefit of having a Covid-19 vaccine evaluated under our unique conditions.
Why don’t we have a vaccine yet?
The problems of many South Africans have been compounded by corruption related to the pandemic. As such, the government is routinely accused of non-compliance and poor planning.
Karim explained that South Africa cannot easily access vaccines in the same way that the United States and Britain have, due to financial constraints.
“The poorest countries are always left behind with new health interventions,” he said, and the system historically “prioritizes gains over lives.”
That is why many developing nations have been able to rely on the Covax system. South Africa is in a good position, Karim said, because we are part of Covax, but we are also negotiating with other vaccine providers.
Pillay elaborated by explaining that South Africa has not funded any trials, unlike the richer nations, but has only participated in them.
The school said this was advantageous too, because once a vaccine is registered and post-marketing surveillance is complete, more information will be available on how the vaccine performs in the field.
“Vaccine trials started in June. No one knew which vaccine would pass or fail. If we put our cash into a particular vaccine that had to be prepaid and it fails, we would have spent billions for no vaccine, “said Pillay.
Schoub added that Covid-19 vaccines are new and many have not been used in humans. There is currently a global fight, but the richest countries have money available that they can afford to invest in vaccines. South Africa is not that privileged.
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Despite this, the country is taking a cautious approach, unlike nations such as Costa Rica and Morocco, which chose to implement vaccines before completing the third phase of trials to confirm effectiveness, Karim explained.
“We have not taken that approach because it is the best and safest option.”
The same is true for vaccines developed by China and Russia and other nations that have chosen not to wait for more data before launching massive launches.
Pillar said South Africa’s approach aims to take a cautious approach to prevent the vaccine from causing harm and to ensure the effectiveness of the injection. He said there was no point in launching an ineffective vaccine where people would still be infected.
Who will get it first?
Being a part of Covax means being able to receive vaccines from multiple vendors, demonstrating any delays in procurement processes, Pillay explained.
At least 198 countries will receive vaccines through Covax, which for South Africa is the safest and most logical approach.
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But ordinary South Africans, even those with comorbidities, will have to wait before they can get the vaccine.
Schoub confirmed that the first batch of vaccine will go directly to front-line and healthcare workers, which he anticipates will not yet be received by the rest of the population.
Also included in the first set of vaccines are the elderly, especially those in nursing homes, and institutionalized citizens, such as prisoners, due to the risk of the virus spreading faster in these circumstances.
The second tier would include those with comorbidities, which Schoub said was difficult to get around. Ordinary citizens will also begin receiving the vaccine during this time.
Not the silver bullet
Even if a vaccine arrived in South Africa today, the country would likely still experience a third and fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, Pillay said.
Also, the tiered approach to administering the vaccine means that it could take a while before herd immunity is achieved.
Karim warned that the vaccine is not a miracle solution that will end the pandemic. He highlighted the need to continue practicing non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as washing hands, wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
Responsibility still falls squarely on the shoulders of South African citizens who are responsible for helping to control the pandemic, he said.
The virus will also not go away after a vaccine is given, Schoub continued. The only virus that can disappear from the world is smallpox, and this is due to decades of vaccine administration.
It is not yet clear how long our immunity against Covid-19 is. The frequency required to fight the virus is not clear yet; It could be a yearly vaccination like a flu shot or a shot given every few years.
As more time passes and the variety of vaccines available to the global market increases, Schoub said this was a positive result of not rushing to roll out mass vaccines.
There will be more options and, within them, more options to suit South African conditions, taking into account challenges such as storage and distribution.
He assured that every effort is being made to bring the vaccine to South Africans as soon as possible.
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