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“We feel reasonably comfortable that what we have paid, signed and are negotiating will cover the figures we seek to vaccinate,” the minister said.
Another piece of good news is that a Pfizer study found that the company’s vaccine, developed with BioNTech, appeared to be relatively effective against the Covid variant that has emerged in South Africa.
A study by Pfizer and scientists at the University of Texas, conducted on a modified virus with three mutations of the variant, found that the vaccine was only slightly less effective against the variant compared to the first form of the virus.
In response to concerns about the storage of the vaccine, which should be kept at -70ºC, Mkhize said this should not be a problem. “We have some capacity, mainly in academic institutions. Now there are companies that are presenting storage and transit solutions and we will announce the tenders on February 5.”
He said that despite the rush to start vaccinating, “we will not compromise on safety … we will have to give it time. Every batch will go through exactly the same approach, that’s the most important step here.”
The minister said more vaccine deliveries were expected next month.
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