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Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.
- Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba is skeptical that the government will implement Covid-19 vaccines for everyone and on time.
- Makgoba criticized the global procurement deals through Covax, saying the initiative was failing the poor.
- He said scientists have done their job in developing vaccines and called on the government to be transparent and fair in the deployment of the vaccine.
Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has criticized the government’s vaccination program, saying the poor would be left behind to suffer in the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Makgoba delivered the Easter vigil sermon at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Saturday.
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He said he was skeptical about the government’s goal of vaccinating 41 million people, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The public health system had been “poisoned” by rampant corruption, he added.
“We know that political leadership has unfortunately been lacking in the most affected areas: shame for those who have left hospitals and clinics without people, equipment and protection. I have read that with the current strategy it would take 18 years to vaccinate our entire current population! We cannot allow that to happen, “Makgoba said.
“Make no mistake, we are a world-class country. Our medical scientists are world-class. Ten years ago, we built world-class soccer stadiums and hosted a world-class World Cup. Distributing and administering vaccines is not rocket science, it’s just a matter of getting the logistics right. If humanity can send a spacecraft 470 million kilometers to Mars and gently drop a lander onto the planet’s surface, surely the South Africans can come up with a coordinated plan to collaborate on obtaining vaccines quickly to every corner of our country? ”
Makgoba said he had written to the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci, telling him that the Covax vaccine program and the bilateral agreements used to procure vaccines globally were failing. . The Covax program aims at equitable access to vaccines for all.
“Vaccine nationalism has already taken hold. A quick review this week showed that while the United States had vaccinated 16 percent of its population, we had covered less than half a percent of ours, and many countries have not seen vaccines. Not at all. Bilateral agreements are failing especially for the Global South, where we can justifiably say that the world’s poor are suffering from vaccine apartheid. “
The archbishop praised the scientists for “developing vaccines in record time” to combat the pandemic.
“We owe a lot to our scientists, including the world-class researchers that South Africa has contributed to this endeavor.”
READ | Business leaders attend ‘crisis meeting’ with President Ramaphosa on vaccine launch
Addressing the nation on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said more than 250,000 healthcare workers had taken the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine as part of the Sisonke trial, News24 reported. He also announced that the government had secured 11 million doses of the J&J vaccine, adding that it was finalizing obtaining another 20 million doses from the pharmaceutical company.
Ramaphosa said the government was finalizing another 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as it prepared for phase two of the vaccination program in mid-May. The president said the supply would provide the country with enough vaccines for 41 million people.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) announced this week that it had registered the J&J vaccine with conditions.
He said the vaccine, developed by J & J’s vaccine division, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, was registered on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in accordance with Section 15 (6a) of the Drug and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, which allows you to register. a drug subject to certain conditions.
“However, the authorization is subject to a number of conditions that include that the vaccine is provided and administered in accordance with the [national Department of Health’s] Covid-19 vaccination plan and applicable guidelines, “said Dr. Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, CEO of Sahpra.
“This registration marks a significant step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. This authorization is based on acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by Janssen Pharmaceutica (Pty) Ltd to Sahpra as a continuous submission during the period of 11 December. December 2020 to March 17, 2021 “.
