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- South Africa will have a Covid-19 vaccine in mid-2021, and the government will carefully evaluate the key criteria for successful local application.
- Cost, ease of administration and storage, and number of doses remain important questions that still need to be answered.
- Despite payment problems, Professor Karim says that the COVAX program is South Africa’s best opportunity to acquire a suitable vaccine.
- For more articles, visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
The greatest viable defense against the Covid-19 pandemic could be available in South Africa in mid-2021. A vaccine will need to meet South Africa’s unique set of requirements and rushing to buy the first available option may not be the best for the country despite of the pressures imposed by the pandemic.
This is the opinion of Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who serves as chair of the ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19, and has played a leading role in South Africa’s response to the pandemic. As the world struggles to contain the second waves of infections, a successful vaccine serves as the only light at the end of the tunnel.
In recent months, great strides have been made in the development and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. South Africa is also playing its part, albeit at a slower pace than initially expected. South Africa currently hosts Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinical trials in conjunction with a partnership between AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford.
The government has also committed R500 million to the global COVAX program, which aims to provide developing nations with affordable access to vaccines when available. During his national address on Thursday, December 3, President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa’s commitment to the COVAX initiative despite the government missing the first payment window.
“We are participating in the World Health Organization’s Global Covid-19 Vaccine Access Facility, known as COVAX facility, which aims to pool resources and share the risk of vaccine development and thus guarantee equitable access to vaccines. when available, ”Ramaphosa said.
“We are encouraged that the Solidarity Fund will make the initial contribution of R327 million for the acquisition of this vaccine on behalf of our country.”
Professor Karim explained that, in addition to the cost effectiveness of the COVAX program, the government should carefully examine all available options and resist the temptation to rush prematurely.
“We have to make a very careful decision about which vaccine is appropriate and most suitable for South Africa,” says Karim.
“We have four vaccines [of] that the results have been available. There are eight more vaccines whose results will be announced in the coming weeks. Among these eight, where we do not yet know the results, there are some excellent candidates. “
Some of the pioneers in the race to distribute vaccines include Moderna, Oxford University and AstraZeneca, Pfizer and BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson. While these advanced trials have reported positive efficacy rates, Karim has identified three main criteria that must be met for the application of the vaccine in South Africa.
“First of all, there is a vaccine that is a single dose [and] a single dose is a great advantage for us, instead of having to receive two doses, ”explains Karim, noting the optimistic prospects for the vaccines that are still in the testing phase, with results not yet known. “If you have a single dose, you need half the health care infrastructure. If we choose a two-dose vaccine, that will double the cost. [because] we have to buy twice as many vaccines. “
The second criterion outlined by Karim implies a perfect integration with the existing inoculation platforms in South Africa. South Africa has made extensive use of protein-based subunit vaccines and already has the infrastructure to implement appropriate Covid-19 treatments. A vaccine, in the middle of its clinical trial, developed by GlaxoSmithKline is one of those protein-based subunit treatments.
“[We need vaccines] They use technology platforms with which we are very familiar. We have our existing vaccine infrastructure that uses those same platforms, for example the protein subunit, ”says Karim.
The cost factor, beyond the expensive two-dose option, remains a major concern for all developing nations, including South Africa. Karim adds that this is why partnering with COVAX is the best option.
“We are not going to buy a vaccine, for example, Moderna, which sells for $ 35 (R531) a dose. Instead, we will get the first doses of vaccines through COVAX and that will be in the middle of next year. [2021]”Says Karim.
Bur Karim emphasizes that while purchasing a vaccine must remain a priority, South Africa should choose wisely based on these three factors.
“We choose on the basis of two characteristics, safety and efficacy. Y [there are] three characteristics that we must weigh. The cost, the ease of administration and storage and the number of doses, ”explains Karim.
“It doesn’t help that people, who are unfamiliar with the complexities of the vaccine selection process, think ‘we want a vaccine now.’ That’s not going to happen, it just isn’t going to happen. “
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