A dose of good news

PFIZER VACCINES HAVE LANDED IN SA!

The Pfizer-BioNTech jab has been one of several vaccine options submitted for approval in numerous countries, and has been a glimmer of hope for at the end of the ‘Covid Tunnel’.

It has arrived!

On 3 May, it was announced that the very first batch of Pfizer vaccines had arrived on South Arican soil. A much anticipated-event, more than 325,000 doses of the jab had finally landed at OR Tambo International Airport that Sunday night. In order to ensure that no vials were damaged or compromised, samples were immediately transported to the National Control Laboratory for quality assurance purposes.

It has been forecasted that the country should receive a batch of vaccines, of the same quantity, on a weekly basis. It is estimated that a total of 1.3 million doses will be delivered by the end of May. Subsequently, the supply of Pfizer vaccines is expected to go up in number quite significantly -to more than 636,000 per weekin June.

Restarting Phase 1

The celebrated arrival of these Pfizer vaccines comes after the restart of phase 1 (resumed on Wednesday 28April) of South Africa’s rollout. Phase1 predominantly focuses on making sure that all healthcare workers in the country get vaccinated as soon as possible. This has been a key focus of the Sisonke Mass Implementation study.

The Sisonke study has been led by the South African Medical ResearchCouncil (SAMRC), in collaboration with the national health department,Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Centre for the Aids Programme of Research (Caprisa), as well as Janssen Pharmaceuticals - which is owned by Johnson & Johnson.

Together with these large entities, provincial health departments and researchers have been actively involved in the vaccination of 26 000 healthcare workers. The health department has set a target of completing 500 000 inoculations by the end of the Sisonke study. Government has, additionally, secured other vaccines which are set to arrive in the second quarter of the year.

Health Minister weighs in Health Minister Zweli Mkhize spoke in parliament on Wednesday prior to the arrival of the new vaccines, stating that the country was looking into obtaining a supplementary supply of vaccines, from both Russia and India. Minister Mkhize also indicated that plans have been set in place for the inoculation of 16.5 million South Africans from May to October, with the assistance of private healthcare providers - who will purchase vaccines from the national government.

This strategy is included in Phase 2 of the rollout, which will target all essential workers and vulnerable individuals with comorbidities. Phase 3 of the rollout, scheduled for the start of November, will open up inoculations to the rest of the country. Additionally, the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) has announced that the first commercial batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines (arriving from Aspen’s plant in Gqeberha) is expected to be ready by mid-May.

Potential hurdles expected

In light of these new developments, there are, however, areas of concern which could potentially slow down South Africa’s vaccine rollout. The extended international safety verification process, surrounding the Johnson & Johnson vaccines from Gqeberha, may pose some challenges. Minister Mkhize said that these vaccines should be released around the middle of May. However, he also indicated that the release would only occur upon approval from US and South African regulators.

“This is a precautionary measure following the adverse findings during inspection of Emergent BioSolutions Bayview facility in the United States of America, one of the manufacturing partners of Johnson and Johnson, which prompted the authorities to extend their assessments of all Johnson and Johnson stock worldwide. These assessments are still underway”, said Minister Mkhize.

“We are confident that the final outcome will be positive and that, provided there are no further disruptions, Johnson and Johnson will be in a position to release the stock from the Aspen plant in Gqeberha by the middle of May. The stock is currently finished and ready for dispatch.”

5 FACTS ON THE PFIZER-BIONTECH JABS

1. The scientific classification of the vaccine is known as BNT162b2.

2. It is a mRNA-type vaccine - a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases, which teaches our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.

3. A benefit of this vaccine is that those who have been vaccinated will gain protection without ever having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.

4. The vaccine does not include ingredients such as eggs, preservatives, or latex. However, it does have polyethylene glycol, which certain individuals may be allergic to.

5. Possible side effects include: tiredness, onset of headaches, muscular pain, fever, chills and nausea. You may also experience swelling and redness on the arm with which the shot is administered.