FEATURE
Source: SAnews
J&J boosters for
healthcare workers the Department of Health,
a dose of the J&J vaccine,
Desmond Tutu Health
to evaluate its effective-
Foundation, Centre for
ness, between 17 Febru-
the AIDS Programme of
ary and 17 May 2021.
Research in South Africa
“By rolling out the
and J&J to provide early
Sisonke Study, we bought
access to the single-dose
valuable time for health-
J&J vaccine.
care workers, and were
A new trial has since evaluated a booster dose,
four months ahead of
given at least two months
the national rollout and
after the first dose, in
ahead of the Delta-driven
31 300 participants from
third wave,” said one of
more than nine countries.
the co-national Principal
According to the data,
Investigators of the study,
vaccine efficacy against
Professor Glenda Gray.
the disease was 94% in
The Sisonke Study
the US and 75% globally. At a global level, vaccine
T
he South African
United States Food and
Health Products
Drug Administration
able to protect them
showed that the J&J vaccine was safe, easy to
efficacy was 100% against
administer and provided
severe disease and criti-
good protection against
cal disease.
severe disease and death.
“In this study, two doses
The single-dose
Regulatory Author-
(FDA) recommended a
were safe and usual vac-
regimen has since been
ity (SAHPRA) and Johnson
second dose of the J&J
cine side effects were
administered to other
& Johnson (J&J) have
vaccine for all Americans
reduced following the
essential workers, such as
approved vaccine booster
18 years and older, who
second dose,” the SAMRC
educators, police officers
doses for all healthcare
received a single dose.
said.
and those living in rural
workers who received a
Early this year, the
locations.
J&J vaccine as part of the
South African Medi-
Sisonke Study
Sisonke Study.
cal Research Council
In South Africa, 496 424
5.2 million people in
(SAMRC) worked with
health workers received
South Africa have re-
This comes after the
12
In addition, more than
Public Sector Manager • November 2021
