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South Africa will likely receive its first delivery of coronavirus vaccines in the middle of next year after agreeing to an initial payment, the Health Ministry said.
The government will receive the vaccines under the Covax initiative that will cover about 10% of the population after the Solidarity Fund, a charity, agreed to make an initial payment of about R327 million ($ 22 million), the ministry said in a statement. . The total cost of vaccines could amount to more than R2 billion.
The Covax initiative, backed by the World Health Organization, aims to give low-income countries the same access to vaccines as richer nations.
“Our understanding of the production estimates that have been provided to us at this stage is that we should expect to receive the first batch of stocks in the second quarter of 2021,” the ministry said.
South Africa is experiencing an increase in coronavirus cases in some districts just as millions of people prepare to travel to their home cities and holiday destinations during the holiday season.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday reintroduced restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the virus in Nelson Mandela Bay, the country’s sixth-largest city, with a population of 1.3 million people.
About 805,804 people have been diagnosed with the disease in South Africa so far and 21,963 have died, according to government figures. 4,932 new cases were detected on Friday, Zweli Mkhize said, the health minister said.
The government is also considering purchasing vaccines from other potential producers, including Johnson & Johnson, Novavax Inc, AstraZeneca Plc, and the association Pfizer Inc and BioNtech.
It should ensure it has funds and resources for the distribution, storage and administration of the vaccines, the ministry said.
“While the Covax facility is our favorite vehicle to access vaccines, we will always explore all options to ensure that the vaccine implementation process is safe and cost-effective,” he said.
Read: Ramaphosa says South Africa will make first payment for vaccines
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