SA geared for vaccine rollout, as Sisonke study ends

The Covid-19 vaccination of healthcare workers is soon coming to an end as the Sisonke study receives its last batch of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week, while the rest of the country is anxiously waiting for the rollout of an official mass vaccination programme.

The final 200,000 doses of the globally preferred single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines are expected to arrive around 9 April or 10 April. The country has so far received 300,000 doses, including 40,000 which landed last Friday, said head of the Sisonke vaccination study Professor Glenda Gray.

The study had, as of Monday afternoon, vaccinated 239,665 healthcare workers out of the targeted 500,000. This was one of the largest vaccine programmes by Johnson & Johnson at a global level, said Gray.

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Study helped prepare SA for real vaccine rollout

During the study, scientists were able to determine how to handle healthcare workers who develop allergies from the vaccine, how to scale the vaccine, safety measures around the handling of the vaccine, and supply shortages such as that of syringes.  This has made the country more prepared for the roll out, she said.

“It taught us how to go to scale and a lot more information on safety, particularly in highly exposed healthcare workers. They are four to seven times more likely to get Covid-19 than anyone else in the population. It gave us information on people who have had Covid-19 before and how they manage and handle the vaccine afterwards.”

“By the end of it, this programme added tremendous benefit because half the healthcare workers will be vaccinated by the end of April, which will help them going into the third wave. We have had people, vaccinators, doctors and nurses, who have experience with the vaccine. The whole country is more prepared. Doctors and nurses are more prepared and the systems are now well-oiled and can quickly transition to a national rollout,” said Gray.

Aspen ready to supply 30 million doses

In April, South Africa will be receiving the first batch of an order of 30 million of the same single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which would be manufactured locally by pharmaceutical giant Aspen in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

ALSO READ: SA secures 30 million J&J vaccines, rollout expected in April

The majority of the vaccines will be supplied to South Africa and member states of the African Union (AU), with the AU expected to receive 400 million.

All that is now left is for the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) to approve the vaccine, which would hopefully happen this week, said Gray.

“The moment it’s approved, the country can use the vaccine or bring it in or use the one made by Aspen. We are hoping this will happen towards the end of April to transition the Johnson & Johnson programme into the normal rollout.”

Aspen is the only manufacturing site in Africa and the Southern hemisphere selected by Johnson & Jonson to package the Covid-19 vaccine.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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