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Minister of Health, Dr. Zweli Mkhize.
Gallo Images / Darren Stewart
- Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says the government’s vaccination plan is still underway.
- A total of 43 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been secured, it says.
- Mkhize was answering questions in the National Assembly.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says the government’s plan to vaccinate more than 40 million South Africans by the end of the year is still underway.
On Wednesday, Mkhize told parliament that vaccine doses would increase rapidly from April.
“The vaccination rate for our healthcare workers is limited by the flow of vaccines. At this point, it is still limited. We anticipate that the number of vaccines (doses) will increase rapidly from April, May and June.
“Therefore, we would be in a position to increase the number of people who will receive vaccines, with the goal of 40 million people by the end of the year,” he said.
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Mkhize was answering questions in the National Assembly, along with other ministers from the social group.
As the supply of Covid-19 vaccines remains limited, plans will be altered, he said.
“Whatever plan any country is embarking on, it will depend on the delivery speed of the vaccine manufacturing companies. We are not the only country that feels the limitations, we all have the same challenges. Our goal remains the end of the year … we will review it as time goes on, waiting for where we see the limitations on vaccines. “
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Mkhize said 43 million doses of vaccines had been secured.
“Our agreements are currently with Johnson & Johnson for 11 million doses and 20 million doses from Pfizer. There is also a 12 million dose commitment from the Covax facility. Johnson & Johnson’s delivery schedule is committed in quarters. refined the matter, we will be able to say month by month how much we are obtaining “.
South Africa was also finalizing the sale of one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the African Union.
They would be sold at the price at which they were bought.
Local scientists are still working on research on the efficacy of the vaccine.
South Africa ordered 1.5 million vaccines from the Serum Institute of India.
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Days after arriving in the country, the vaccine was found to have a 22% efficacy rate against the new Covid-19 variant.
Mkhize said there is a possibility of a third wave of infections and reiterated that this cannot be accurately predicted.
“We hope to do everything we can to protect South Africans. The risk of a third or fourth wave can never be excluded, no one can say until most populations are vaccinated,” he said.
On the use of ivermectin, Mkhize said that the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority had issued guidelines.
