The first South African study of SINOVAC inoculation of children will start at Sefako Makgatho University in Pretoria on Friday.

The worldwide study will be in children and adolescents aged six months to 17 years. 

The Dean of Nursing & Public Health at the University of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, Professor Mosa Moshabela said it is necessary for children to get vaccinated.

“There has been growing evidence especially with this new variant including Delta variant, unlike the original virus we have seen increasingly it has been affecting young people and we have seen cases of severe disease and death in children, we should not take it for granted just because we did not do enough trials in children.”

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He said SINOVAC vaccine is interesting because it uses the traditional method of the virus.

“The vaccine uses the actual virus, but that virus has been deactivated, it has been killed. Is just taking the full cover of the virus and exposing people to that and helping them respond to the virus by detecting an infection from the virus.”

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the South African Medical Association Dr Angelique Coetzee, said for now there is no rush for parents to get their children vaccinated.

“It is not yet opened for children cohort, there will be guidelines for children with severe disease and immune comprise cannot afford to get Covid-19 for those, I would say parents vaccinate your child in the interest of protecting your child.”