Vaccines at Risk: SA Might Have to Destroy 100k Doses if They Are Dispensed by End of March

• Vaccine hesitancy could result in over 100 000 vaccines being destroyed at the end of March due to lack of uptake
• The country's vaccine programme got off to a slow start due to issues procuring doses of the Covid19 vaccine due to the enormous global demand
• However, the country now might have to destroy more vaccines that were donated by the US due to the slow uptake by the population

PRETORIA - Approximately 100 000 Pfizer Covid19 vaccines might have to be destroyed due to the slow uptake by the population. The vaccines have an expiration date and South Africa will have to destroy the doses at the end of March.

South Africa has recorded the highest number of infections and deaths on the African continent from Covid19.

Read also

Child support grant must be increased says new study, single mothers need more support

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said that "significant volumes" of the vaccine might have to be discarded if more people don't get the jab before the end of March.

He said that it would be a "sad day" if that would have to be the case. SA's vaccination campaign got off to a slow start due to issues procuring vaccines due to the extremely high global demand. However, the recent issues are due to vaccine hesitancy among the population according to the Sowetan LIVE.

Earlier in the week, News24 reported that millions of vaccine doses might never be used. This could result in South Africa destroying more vaccines that were donated by the United States.

Covid19: SA takes "mix and match" approach to Pfizer and J&J vaccines

Read also

South Africans may mix Pfizer and J&J vaccines soon, don't need the same booster as first jabs

Earlier, Briefly News reported that 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.

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.

Shirtless Ukrainian president getting Covid19 jab leaves the internet mesmerised

In similar news, with all the drama and negativity surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one online user shifted the focus to a more positive note by sharing a video of the attractive Ukrainian president.

Read also

Fact Check: No proof vitamin D can prevent coronavirus infection

The video was shared on TikTok by user @officialqueenbitch and has over 2.6 million views. Volodymyr Zelenskyy can be seen shirtless in the clip as he gets his Covid-19 jab.

Zelenskyy is a former actor and comedian who has been serving as the president of Ukraine since 2019. He has gained worldwide recognition as the wartime leader of Ukraine during this Russian invasion.

Source: Briefly News