SA to receive 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine this month
Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize has announced that South Africa will receive one million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine from Serum Institute of India by this month.
The country will receive another 500 000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by next month.
Mkhize made the announcement during a briefing at Parliament’s health committee.
He told MPs the country's 1. 2 million healthcare workers in both the public and private sector will be prioritised.
“At the press briefing I, as the Minister of Health, gave an undertaking to the South African public that we will prioritise the protection of our health workers by ensuring that they receive the vaccine by February. At the time I could not disclose further details.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that the Serum Institute of India has given us permission to make a public announcement and start engaging with all relevant stakeholders in preparation for the roll out.”
Mkhize says the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved by various regulators for rollout.
Listen to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize below:
“We also want to inform the public that the acquisition has been done directly by the Department of Health. This strengthens the credibility of the process as all the negotiations and payment issues are managed directly by government with the manufacturer.
“We will now be engaging all relevant stakeholders in order to ensure the efficient and effective roll out of the vaccine for our health workers.”
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