South Africa could sell AstraZeneca injections as it switches to J&J vaccine to fight the variant

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JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Minister of Health said on Wednesday the government could sell doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine it may not need or swap for a different vaccine as it scrambles to start vaccinating its citizens with another US vaccine next week.

The unusual move comes just days after South Africa suspended deployment of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford following a small clinical trial that showed it offered minimal protection against mild to moderate diseases of the 501Y.V2 variant dominant in the country.

One million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, landed in the country last week, with another 500,000 expected to arrive in the coming weeks. This is enough to vaccinate 750,000 people.

South Africa also expected to receive AstraZeneca injections through the COVAX global vaccine distribution program co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and an agreement from the African Union (AU).

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told a press conference that the country would start immunizing health workers with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the form of an “implementation study” with researchers next week.

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He said he would wait for scientific advice before proceeding with the sale or eventual replacement of the British shot.

“Why not sell the AstraZeneca to other countries? Well, that’s an option… we’ll consider it. First, our scientists will tell us what we do with it. Can we use it within the time available… before it expires? »Said Mkhize.

“If not, can we swap it with someone else, as we’ve discussed it with COVAX and with AVATT (the AU Vaccine Task Force), so we’ll see what we do.” “

It is not clear how a sale or exchange would work given the fluctuating prices of vaccines around the world, or whether the UK drug maker would have to accept such a move. The Serum Institute and AstraZeneca declined to comment.

Still, in a briefing to lawmakers later today, Mkhize said the government wanted to see if it could swap the AstraZeneca injections it had ordered from the Serum Institute for doses of a different vaccine available in the government. part of the COVAX program managed by WHO and international vaccines. Gavi alliance.

The move is the latest twist in a saga that has engulfed South Africa this week as it attempts to tame the fast-spreading variant. The death toll in the country is close to 47,000 and infections have exceeded 1.47 million.

A WHO panel said on Wednesday the AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and effective and should be widely deployed, including in countries where the 501Y.V2 variant could reduce its effectiveness. Gavi said COVAX is exploring ways for countries participating in the facility to exchange vaccine doses with each other to optimize their needs.

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ALTERNATIVES

Turning to J&J for alternative supplies is another blow for AstraZeneca, whose vaccine is considered essential for poor countries because it is cheap and easy to store.

South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee should be able to give thoughtful advice on how to deal with the AstraZeneca vaccine in the next week or two, Mkhize said, adding that the government has also secured doses of Pfizer for officers. health.

Negotiations with Moderna, Sinopharm in China and on the Russian vaccine Sputnik V are underway.

Mkhize called the first batch of doses of J&J “transitional stock” and said they could arrive next week.

Officials previously said the country had secured 9 million single doses of J&J, and Mkhize said a deal could be finalized soon.

Glenda Gray, president of the Medical Research Council (MRC), said the government and MRC aim to vaccinate up to 500,000 health workers in the J&J study, with batches of around 80,000 doses arriving every seven. to 14 days after the study is approved.

Ultimately, most of J&J’s supplies could come from local pharmaceutical company Aspen, which is expected to start production around April, Mkhize said.

The J&J vaccine was found to be 89% effective in preventing serious disease and 57% effective against moderate to severe disease in the South African part of a large global trial. About 95% of infections in the local study were due to the 501Y.V2 variant.

The variant has alarmed health experts who have expressed concerns about its ability to potentially evade the immune response generated by prior exposure to the coronavirus or vaccines.

South Africa’s neighbor eSwatini said on Tuesday he would not use the AstraZeneca vaccine.

(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf; Additional reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, Krishna Das in New Delhi, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Kate Kelland in London; Written by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Josephine Mason; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Nick Macfie and Lisa Shumaker)