Aspen to release 300k vaccine doses for SA teachers
Global pharmaceutical company Aspen has vowed to ramp up the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to South Africa.
This is after a batch of two million Johnson & Johnson vaccines had to be destroyed due to contamination.
The vaccines, which were filled and packaged at Aspen's Gqeberha production site, were manufactured in Baltimore in the US.
Aspen says the doses were already contaminated when Johnson & Johnson provided them from their contract manufacturing partner in Baltimore.
"This is not only a setback to both the Aspen and Johnson & Johnson teams who have worked tirelessly to ensure the manufacture of these batches, but more importantly, has the potential to negatively impact the vaccine rollout across South Africa and Africa," said Aspen in a statement.
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The pharmaceutical company says Johnson & Johnson will provide 300 000 doses of the vaccine for South African teachers with the next week.
Aspen also expects to release Johnson & Johnson vaccines manufactured from a drug substance that has not been impacted by the contamination.
Over the next few weeks, Johnson & Johnson will be "delivering substantial quantities of compliant finished vaccines" to South Africa to replace the lost stock.
On Friday, the Health Department confirmed that two batches from the doses assessed were cleared for emergency use.
It further added that the vaccines at the Gqeberha plant will have to further assessed by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
