Aspen to deliver over 17m doses to SA, African countries - Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday evening on government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In South Africa, over 4.2 million people have received a vaccine dose thus far.

“One of the major challenges we have faced so far in expanding our vaccination programme is the availability of vaccine doses. This has been a challenge both for South Africa and the rest of the African continent,” Ramaphosa said.

“In the last few days, the African Union, through our office as the AU Covid-19 Champion, and the European Union have reached a historic agreement that will significantly improve the supply of vaccines to our country and our sister countries on the African continent.

“Through this agreement, Aspen will be delivering over 17 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses to South Africa and other African countries over the next three months, commencing in late July.”

Ramaphosa says government is also in negotiations to produce vaccines locally.

“As part of the effort to strengthen health security on the continent, there is a commitment by Johnson & Johnson to adapt the current arrangement so that we can produce the vaccine in South Africa under license rather than under contract, resulting in our country and the continent having control over the vaccines.

“We are negotiating that in time the drug substance itself would be produced here in South Africa so that we have a fully-owned African vaccine manufactured on African soil in a number of countries on our continent.”

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