Kubayi: Sinovac vaccine ‘much-needed relief’ for the country’s vaccination programme

“This is a turning point and much-needed relief for the country`s vaccination rollout programme,” she said in a statement on Saturday. 

“On behalf of the Department, I would like to express gratitude to our regulatory authority for their sense of urgency, which included reducing turnaround time to process applications for registration of medical products, COVID-19 vaccine in particular - without compromising their strict guidelines to ensure the safety of our people. 

“It is an undeniable fact that Sahpra plays a key role in the country`s response to this pandemic by ensuring that safe and efficacious vaccines are approved for use in the country”. 

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authorisation (Sahpra) approved the use of the Chinese vaccine on Saturday based on the safety, quality, and efficacy data submitted by the vaccine manufacturer to Sahpra between March and June. 

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Sahpra has indicated that while it considered the submitted data acceptable at this point, the authorisation is subject to a number of conditions, including submission by the manufacturer of the final results of ongoing clinical studies.

The EFF, which has been vocal in calling for the approval of the vaccine, also welcomed the move, saying it was “long overdue.”