SA to resume J&J Covid-19 vaccine rollout on Wednesday

 The use of the vaccines were suspended earlier this month following a similar decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

The reason for the suspension, given by both the FDA and Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, was to give authorities a chance to re-evaluate a possible causal link between the vaccine and six cases in America where women developed blood clots in the brain, coupled with low platelets.

In a statement released on Monday morning, Mkhize says following a recommendation by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and Cabinet’s concurrence on 21 April, the vaccine rollout will resume through the Sisonke Programme on Wednesday.

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“The programme has, on hand, all the doses it needs to complete vaccinating 500 000 health care workers through the early access protocol and the teams have been eagerly standing by, looking forward to making up for the lost time by completing this programme in the shortest possible time,” said Mkhize.

He adds that vaccination sites will be expanded to 95 sites across the country and these sites will continue to vaccinate health care workers during phase one beyond the Sisonke Protocol.

Mkhize adds that the scientists’ research established that the risk of a blood clot after taking the vaccine is lower.

“It has since been established there is a one in a million chance of getting the clot after the vaccine and that it appears that women between the ages of 18 and 48 years old are particularly at risk. With such a low probability of developing a clot, all the regulators across the world have recommended the continued use of Johnson and Johnson,” says the Minister.

Mkhize assures that the country has secured enough doses to vaccinate at least 45 million people residing in South Africa.

“And we are still seeking to secure more vaccines. I am therefore thrilled that the first 1,1 million doses of market Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are ready for dispatch from the Gqebherha plant- we have engaged Johnson and Johnson who have indicated that with the No-Fault Compensation Scheme now in place they are finalising the last administrative obligations with international health authorities and we should expect the doses to be dispatched in the coming days. These vaccines will be flown from the plant in Gqebherha where the final steps of manufacturing, that is fill- and- finish, was completed,” he said.