CAPE TOWN, 16 February 2021, (TON): South Africa has announced that it wants to return the one million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has received from Serum Institute of India as it would put on hold use of AstraZeneca’s shot in its vaccination program. The African country, which is yet to launch its Covid-19 vaccination programme, has decided to start vaccinating health workers with Johnson & Johnson's vaccine in the form of an "implementation study" with researchers. However, details behind South African move could not be confirmed by TON through independent sources.

Serum Institute in India said regarding its product AstraZeneca, being used against COVID-19 infections vaccination that “its vaccine appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant, based on data from a study by South Africa's University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University.”

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, on 25 January 2021 confirmed his country will soon receive its first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute in India. He wrote in the weekly column, “It will reach all parts of the country and will be phased to ensure that those most in need are prioritized.” Sharing the details, he wrote, “first vaccines to arrive will be provided to healthcare workers. The second phase will include essential workers, teachers, the elderly and those with comorbidities while the third phase will include other adults in the population.”

South Africa coordinated with COVAX facility and the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team as part of the collective effort to secure vaccines for the world’s low- and middle-income countries. It was revealed that South Africa   will be have to pay just over $5 per dose.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has expressed serious concern over South African rejection of AstraZeneca, which is product of Serum Institute of India. The company provided one million doses of the vaccine to South Africa last week and another 500,000 were due to arrive in the next few weeks. Sources in Indian Health Ministry said that the agreement between the two countries cannot be undone.

South Africa’s Health Minister is quoted to have said the South African government may sell doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, after the country paused its rollout following a small clinical trial that showed the shot offered minimal protection against mild to moderate illness from the 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant dominant in the country.

South Africa claims to have the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections on the continent with 1.4 million cases and 41,000 deaths recorded till now. However, positive cases including deaths were mostly of those who were already sick due to multiple diseases and were under medical treatments.  Many also included renown for oppositions and in negative lists with the South African government.