Health body evaluates efficacy of Sinopharm vaccine

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has received documentation for the Sinopharm vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group in China.

“SAHPRA will now commence with evaluating the data in assessing the efficacy of the vaccine,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.

This is as the country battles the third wave of Covid-19 infections amid the slow vaccine rollout.

As of Wednesday, the country had 130,416 active cases of Covid-19, with 17,493 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

Gauteng is the epicentre of the third wave, having recorded 10,806 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. The province has 67,618 active cases.

The Gauteng Provincial Command Council is scheduled to meet today as rumours swirl the province could be taken to Level 5 to curb the spread.

However, the EFF has argued that Level 5 restrictions are not the solution and has called on the country to vaccinate more people.

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The party will on Friday march to the SAHPRA head office in Tshwane to demand vaccines.

“We demand that SAHPRA must finalise the approval and authorisation of Sputnik V and Coronavac within seven days and the government must make these vaccines are available for all the people,” the party said.

SAHPRA has approved the Pfizer and J&J vaccines and also received applications for the Coronavac (manufactured by Sinovac) and Sputnik V (manufactured by the Gamaleya Research Institute) vaccines.

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Now it awaits an application for the Cuban vaccine, which Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina has been calling for.

“I’ve just learned from SAHPRA that there is no application for the Cuban vaccine. I will be in contact with them to make sure an application is lodged urgently. I fully support the call to have Russian and Chinese vaccine administered in SA,” Masina said on social media.