South Africa launches first phase of COVID19 vaccine

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:00 am

South Africa has launched the Covid-19 vaccine following the suspension of an earlier plan to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. According to the Minister of Health Mr. ZweliMkhize. The first batch of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine Covid-19 arrived at Johannesburg International Airport OR Tambo International on Tuesday night.

The country has received 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been shown to be effective for the first strain identified in South Africa as the government halts plans to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, one of the first recipients of the vaccine, said the country had confirmed nine million doses of the vaccine and more estimates were expected.

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Africa has been significantly affected by Covid’s infection in the second wave, with more deaths than in the first wave. More than a third of all Covid-19 cases in Africa were in South Africa, with a new strain of the virus comprising the vast majority of cases out there.

The government says the vaccine will reach the entire country as planned, with health care workers in the public and private sectors being at the forefront of getting life-saving vaccines as part of the first phase of mass vaccination.

According to local media During the second phase, other frontline staff, including teachers, miners, police officers, soldiers, SA social security staff, interior department and post office staff and people over 18 people with cancer and over 60 years of age are vaccinated. Prison inmates will also be vaccinated during the second phase, according to the Eastern Cape health department.

Anyone 18 years of age and older who has not been vaccinated will be vaccinated during the third phase, which will be the final phase of vaccination and the first phase of vaccination has just begun.

South Africa has the highest number of infections on the continent with 1.4 million cases and more than 48,300 deaths. It is also the 16th most affected country in the world. The vaccine will be given in a series of phases and will reach all people.