[ad_1]
President Ramaphosa. (Photo: GCIS)
- President Cyril Ramaphosa told an Eastern Cape government lekgotla that scientists have been instructed to devise a plan to vaccinate the population in the shortest time possible.
- The health department postponed the launch of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine after scientists found that it might be less effective against the variant first identified in South Africa in people with mild forms of the disease.
- One million doses of vaccine arrived in South Africa earlier this month.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has instructed scientists to come up with a plan to vaccinate the population in the shortest time possible following delays caused by problems with the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine. acquired from the Serum Institute of India.
Ramaphosa spoke in a lekgotla of the Eastern Cape provincial government executive committee on Tuesday.
On Sunday, a new study by researchers at the Universities of Wits and Oxford led the Health Department to temporarily suspend its plans to use AstraZeneca after showing that the vaccine might be less effective against the variant first identified in South Africa in people. with mild forms of the disease.
“They will be aware of the results of a study published yesterday on the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine we obtained from the Serum Institute of India against the new strain of the disease,” Ramaphosa said.
“As the Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize has indicated, this will affect the design and implementation phase of our vaccination. In light of these new developments, he has commissioned our scientists to develop proposals on how we can effectively vaccinate our population in the shortest possible time.
“We remain firmly committed to rolling out a rapid and comprehensive vaccination program that will provide immunity to at least 40 million of our citizens,” he told the lekgotla.
“This is an immensely difficult time for our country as we grapple with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic consequences.”
Ramaphosa said the immediate and most urgent priority for all spheres of government, whether local, provincial or national, was saving lives.
He welcomed the participation of the Eastern Cape in planning the vaccination program and the work “it has done to prepare all the systems, structures and facilities.”
“Our success will ultimately depend on the cooperation and collaboration of all spheres of government and all public entities. Covid-19 has had a dramatic impact on lives and livelihoods in the Eastern Cape,” Ramaphosa said.
He congratulated the provincial leadership for their excellent efforts since the start of the pandemic.
Did you know that you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
