COVID-19: South Africa receives first batch of vaccine
South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa says the first batch of 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being prepared for distribution across the country with immediate effect.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, approved by the South African Health Products Authority, has been shown in extensive trials to be safe & efficacious and will protect our health care workers from illness and death from COVID19.
[Statement] President @CyrilRamaphosa says the first batch of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being prepared for distribution across the country with immediate effect. #IChooseVacciNation #VaccineforSouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/hs7eI68bLF
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) February 17, 2021
The first batch of the J&J #COVID19 vaccine arrived at @ortambo_int last night. Frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated during first phase of the #VaccineRolloutSA #VaccineforSouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/Eqfh3CcWy1
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) February 17, 2021
Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the arrival of J&J COVID-19 Vaccine
It gives me great pleasure to announce that the first batch of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being prepared for distribution across South Africa with immediate effect.
As this batch has already been approved by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under the Sisonke protocol, these vaccines will be rapidly dispatched to all provinces.
It is expected that most vaccination centres will be ready from today, 17 February 2021, to begin the vaccination programme.
We are pleased that we are able to begin vaccination by mid-February, as we had announced. This is despite the fact that the AstraZeneca vaccine that we had procured for this purpose showed little efficacy against the 501Y.V2 variant that is currently dominant in South Africa.
I would like to congratulate the Vaccine Inter-Ministerial Committee, the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Vaccines, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize and his team, and the Medical Research Council for responding so rapidly and effectively to this challenge.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown in extensive trials to be safe and efficacious and will protect our health care workers from illness and death from COVID-19.
To demonstrate our confidence in this vaccine and help allay any fears that people may have, the Minister of Health and I will join the first health care workers to receive the vaccine in Khayelitsha.
We have called on leaders in various sectors and parts of the country to lead by example and get inoculated publicly. We will therefore witness some Premiers, MECs and leaders from civil society, religious formations and traditional leadership being vaccinated in all provinces.
Through this vaccination programme, the government aims to achieve population immunity to save lives and protect livelihoods.
We have chosen vaccination and we call on all South Africans to choose vaccination and protect one another.
Note to editors
Time of first vaccination: 12h00
Venue: Khayelitsha District Hospital
Media pool arrangement is in place in line with Covid-19 regulations.
Media enquiries:
Tyrone Seale, Acting Spokesperson to the President
Cell: 083 575 7440
Email: media@presidency.gov.za(link sends e-mail)
