SA exhausts first batch of vaccine

South Africa has finished its first batch of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine in two weeks.

“The number of healthcare workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol is 83 570 as of 3 March,” said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. “We are encouraged that our first target of exhausting the batch of 80 000 vaccines in two weeks has been achieved and exceeded.

“We have taken every opportunity to learn from this process and continue to refine the programme in preparation for a rollout to the larger community in the subsequent phases.”

The first consignment arrived in SA in February and the second batch this past weekend.

The country recently signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to secure 11 million doses of the vaccine.

Of these, 2.8 million will be delivered in the second quarter and the rest spread throughout the year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week.

SA has also secured 20 million doses from Pfizer, which will be delivered from the second quarter, and 12 million doses from the Covax facility.

The country is also in the process of finalising its dose allocation from the African Union.

“The vaccination campaign has so far gone extremely very well. All provinces have established vaccination sites and have put in place expansion plans,” Ramaphosa said.

“Of the 49 sites that will be increased, 17 will be in the private hospital sector.”

The vaccination roll-out programme is picking up pace as the national and Gauteng health departments add more hospitals to the list of vaccination sites.

The Gauteng health department said four more hospitals had been added: Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Netcare Milpark Private Hospital and Lenmed Ahmed Kathrada Private Hospital.