Ramaphosa is hopeful the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program will receive a boost, despite bad news on J&J jabs

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By Liesl Smit


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President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is hopeful that the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program will soon receive a big boost.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the conclusion of the G7 summit yesterday, and confirmed that although the Aspen Pharmacare plant in the Eastern Cape will have to dispose of about 2 million Johnson and Johnson vaccine doses, due to contamination fears, they are ready to start again this week producing fresh batches.
The FDA announced on Friday that several batches will be destroyed due to the key vaccine component contamination issue, but that 300 000 uncontaminated J&J doses would be shipped to South Africa.
There is also a commitment from US President Joe Biden to channel a number of Pfizer doses to SA. Biden announced that the USA is buying 500 million Pfizer vaccines to distribute to needy countries.
The President progress is being made with the proposal to temporarily waive vaccine property rights, to ensure global access to Covid-19 vaccines.
He says more than 100 countries have now spoken out in support of the so-called TRIPS waiver, and negotiations can now begin in earnest.

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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