South Africans May Mix Pfizer and J&J Vaccines Soon, Don’t Need the Same Booster as 1st Jabs

• South Africa will start allowing people to mix and match Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses
• If someone received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, they must wait 90 days until they can receive a booster shot
• The Department of Health is trying to get as many people vaccinated and boosted as possible through a new campaign

JOHANNESBURG - Starting on Wednesday (23 February), South Africans who are fully vaccinated and want to receive a booster shot may not need to get one manufactured by the same company as their initial vaccine doses.

The reason for this change is that the "mix and match" approach has been discovered to be beneficial to the recipient. Therefore, if someone received two doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, they may get a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) booster shot.

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According to BusinessInsider, South Africans who received the single-dose J&J vaccine may get a booster shot, either Pfizer or J&J, no sooner than 60 days from their date of vaccination. This number rises to 90 days for Pfizer recipients and is counted from the date of their second dose.

The benefits of mixing vaccines and SA's booster rollout

While booster shots have been available since the beginning of the year, the Department of Health is campaigning to get more South Africans vaccinated. Sandile Buthelezi, the Department of Health's Director-General, announced that South Africa's vaccination sites will now switch over to become booster shot administration venues.

Along with the changes in how many days vaccinated people need to wait to receive their vaccines, Butelezi also proclaimed that people who received the first dose of Pfizer could get a second shot 21 days later, which is half the time they were previously granted. This will allow people to receive boosters sooner, TimesLIVE reports.

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South Africans who wish to use the "mix and match" approach do not need to justify their decision and receive either vaccine from most sites and providers. However, due to limited inventory, not all locations can satisfy requests for a specific vaccine brand.

"State must compensate": ACDP does not support Covid19 vaccine mandates

Speaking of Covid-19 vaccines, Briefly News previously reported that Kenneth Meshoe, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader, posted on social media that employees who are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 must report if they experience adverse effect from the jab.

During his turn at the State of the Nation Address debate in Cape Town's City Hall, he said this. The ACDP leader referred to previous statements made by President Cyril Ramaphosa, where he promised that nobody would be forced to get vaccinated. Yet, some workplaces are implementing Covid-19 vaccine mandates for employees.

Meshoe said that employees who fall in this category must report the adverse effects to their employers and the State, which should provide compensation to those affected.

Source: Briefly News