2 million J&J jabs at Gqeberha will not be used: Kubayi-Ngubane
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says 2 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines manufactured at the Gqeberha plant in the Eastern Cape can no longer be administered.
This comes after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to discard about 60 million doses made at a troubled Baltimore plant because of contamination.
Kubayi-Ngubane said close to 300 000 Covid-19 jabs from the pharmaceutical company were expected to be delivered next week.
"From our side as government, we are looking at best possible ways of how we can get [more] vaccines in terms of availability,” she said on Saturday.
"But we think currently, with the vaccine registration and roll-out we are not under pressure.
"But we do anticipate that once we open for phase 2B, we would be under pressure and we want to prepare for that.”
Kubayi-Ngubane, who is acting following the suspension of Zweli Mkhize, admitted that the FDA's announcement is a setback to the country’s vaccination campaign.
"We are currently in discussions with the J&J team and we would be meeting next week to see how we can increase the numbers of vaccines we are expecting."
Kubayi-Ngubane was speaking at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto on Saturday afternoon.
