Pfizer vaccine gets green light for emergency use in SA

"This approval is subject to conducting a post Section 21 authorisation efficacy and safety surveillance of Comirnaty vaccine in South Africa," the regulatory body said in a statement on Tuesday.

 

This will make South Africa the second African nation to give its approval after some 100 000 doses were delivered in Rwanda over a week ago.  

 

At the time, Pfizer said the first shipment to Africa of its vaccine represented "an important milestone for the region, for Rwanda, and for the global health partners working tirelessly to fight this pandemic".

 

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Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairperson of COVID-19 ministerial committee, welcomed the move.

 

"That's wonderful so now it doesn't have to be done under a clinical trial because now it's licensed vaccine," Karim said in a conversation with Dr Fundile Nyati.

 

Meanwhile, South Africa continues to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccines under trial conditions.

 

Close to 150 000 healthcare workers have been vaccinated.

 

Karim added his support to the use of the J&J vaccine.

 

"There's simply no question of guinea pig, there's no unproven vaccine. J&J works, we know it works.

 

"Giving it under clinical trial conditions was a really good idea because it enabled us to collect more information on the safety, we were able to see all the side effects," he said.

 

He admitted the vaccine distribution needs to speed up for the country to reach its desired targets.