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The health department maintains that it is in the process of finalizing its agreement with COVAX.
JOHANNESBURG – The health department said Thursday that the delay in paying for the COVAX program would not derail South Africa’s efforts to secure a COVID-19 vaccine.
The department was quick to clarify that an administrative failure between COVAX and the Solidarity Fund had slowed its participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) global access facility for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The department said it was in the process of finalizing its agreement with COVAX, this after WHO launched the program to accelerate the search for an effective vaccine.
The Solidarity Fund was intended to make a deposit of R327 million to ensure enough vaccines to supply 10% of the country’s population this week.
However, this did not materialize as explained by the Deputy Director General for Health, Dr. Anban Pillay.
“The Solidarity Fund was supposed to pay a deposit on December 15th, however, the COVAX facility had not responded in terms of the documentation that was required to make the deposit. Subsequently, they have indicated that the deposit can be paid at a later date and, as they indicated, next week, on December 22, would be fine. ”
Pillay said that even though the payment was not made on the agreed date, it will not prevent South Africa from accessing vaccines through the global initiative.
LOOK: The COVID-19 vaccine: ‘SA is at the end of the queue’
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