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South Africa to give J&J vaccines to other African nations

Published:Friday | December 17, 2021 | 9:45 AM
Scientists at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa, work on the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus Wednesday, December 15, 2021. An analysis of data from South Africa, where the new variant is driving a surge in infections, suggests the Pfizer vaccine offers less defense against infection from omicron and reduced, but still good, protection from hospitalization. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa will donate just over two million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to other African countries to boost the continent's COVID-19 vaccine drive, the government announced Friday.

The doses, worth approximately $18 million, will be produced at the Aspen Pharmacare manufacturing facility in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, and be distributed to various African countries over the next year, according to a statement.

“This donation embodies South Africa's solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the continent with whom we are united in fighting an unprecedented threat to public health and economic prosperity,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in the statement.

“The only way in which we can prevent COVID-19 transmission and protect economies and societies on our continent is to successfully immunise a critical mass of the African population with safe and effective vaccines,” said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa is “ making good progress in his recovery from COVID-19 while continuing treatment for mild symptoms,” his office said in a separate statement Friday.

Ramaphosa, 69, tested positive for COVID-19 on December 12 and has been isolated at the official residence in Cape Town since then, with treatment by the South African military health service.

Ramaphosa is “in good spirits and comfortable in his recovery,” the statement said.

South Africa's donation will add to the more than 100 million vaccine doses that have been donated to the African Union's African Vaccination Acquisition Trust.

The African vaccination group has also purchased 500 million doses to be distributed to countries across the continent.

Africa remains the world's least vaccinated continent. The World Health Organization said that Africa might not reach the target of vaccinating 70% of its 1.3 billion population until the second half of 2024.

Just 20 of Africa's 54 countries have fully vaccinated at least 10% of their populations against COVID-19.

Ten African countries have less than 2% of their populations fully vaccinated, according to WHO.

South Africa is currently battling the resurgence of the coronavirus fuelled by the omicron variant. South Africa recorded 24,785 new infections and 36 deaths in the most recent 24-hour reporting cycle.

The country's seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has risen steeply over the past two weeks from 8.59 new cases per 100,000 people on December 2 to 39.11 new cases per 100,000 people on December16.

More than 78% of the new cases are from the omicron variant, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said in a briefing Friday.

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