Safety concerns: ACDP court battle against Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines for children aged 12-17 delayed

THE SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Saphra) could not have properly interrogated the safety of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, especially given the authority's argument that it was entitled to and did rely on the information put out by Pfizer.

This is the argument contained in the supplementary affidavit submitted by the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and Free the Children – Save the Nation in their court battle against Saphra. The case was scheduled to be heard on Thursday, April 28 but the applicants, including Caring Health-care Workers Coalition NPC, and the COVID Care Alliance NPC then submitted a supplementary affidavit to the court and an amendment to their Notice of Motion.

The organisations want the court to grant an order stopping the administration of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

In the affidavit, they submitted: “Saphra indicated that they were unaware of the Pfizer safety document that reported on vaccine injuries up to February 2021. This report came to light due to the freedom of information application in the Texas Court set out in the rejoinder affidavit. Pfizer's failure to disclose this data to Saphra and Saphra's ignorance thereof leads one to the inescapable conclusion that Saphra could not have properly interrogated the safety of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, especially given Saphra's own case that it was entitled to and did rely on the information put up by Pfizer.

“lt must also be remembered that there is no case made out by Saphra that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines have even been tested on children.”

The applicants have also submitted that their amendment to the notice of motion sought to interdict the administration of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 17 years in the event of review or appeal applications after this case.

Saphra said the latest moves by the applicants were a “waste of time”.

“Owing to the late filing of the supplementary affidavit, the ACDP asked the court for a postponement of the matter. The court granted the postponement and ordered the ACDP to pay the legal costs of both the minister of health and Saphra.

“The postponement has led to a further delay in the finalisation of this important matter, which has the potential to impact the national Covid-19 vaccination programme,” Saphra chief Dr Boitumelo Semete yesterday said.

However, Free the Children – Save the Nation founder, John Taylor said the new information was necessary for clarity on further developments.

“The filing of the rejoinder affidavit and supplementary affidavit was to help the Court and clarify the further developments. The new facts contained in the applicants' supplementary affidavit show that Saphra is hiding documents from the court and not conducting itself in accordance with its constitutional duties.”

The Health Department did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.