Government could in future consider the reintroduction of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to help fight the spread of the Delta-variant.
This, according to the co-chairperson of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, Professor Koleka Mlisana.
Her comments comes after research – at the University of Oxford – has shown that the two-dose vaccines, produced by AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech, remain broadly effective against the variant.
Mlisana says South Africa had to halt the roll-out of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine after a study showed “disappointing” results against the Beta-variant.
Another recent study, by Public Health England, also showed that the vaccines, made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca, offer high protection of more than 90% against hospitalization from the Delta variant.
Watch the full briefing here.
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Previously we had communicated that the #ThirdWave peak is unlikely to surpass the 2ndwave peak.
Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, our scientists, have discovered that we have a new variant that is prevalent in our country. This new variant is called that Delta #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Sni3agbUcM— Department of Health (@HealthZA) June 26, 2021
