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South Africa wants to exchange an order for 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for a different treatment.
The COVID shots have yet to arrive in the country but the health minister has said he hopes to arrange a swap or even sell the treatment.
It comes as scientists advising the World Health Organization recommended the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine in adults of all ages.
South African officials have suspended the deployment of the jab in their country after a little test suggested that it might offer less protection against the variant that originated there.
The pharmaceutical company said the first data showed “limited effectiveness against mild disease” but believed it “could still protect against serious disease.”
AstraZeneca-Oxford jab is offered to millions of people in the UK
However, since the average age of those participating in the study was 31, the efficacy against serious illnesses in all age groups is inconclusive.
Zweli Mkhize, South Africa’s Minister of Health, said on Wednesday he had contacted the Serum Institute of India – which is helping to make AstraZeneca’s stunt – about an exchange.
He also said officials have spoken to the international COVAX vaccination program about the possibility.
Mr Mkhize said: “Why not sell the AstraZeneca to other countries, well, that’s an option, … we will consider it. First, our scientists will tell us what we do with it, can – we will use it in the time available … before it expires.
“If not, can we exchange it with someone else, as we have discussed it with COVAX and with AVATT (the AU work team on vaccines), so we will see what we are going to do? . “
It is not clear how a subsequent sale or exchange would work given fluctuating vaccine prices around the world or whether the pharmaceutical company would have to agree to such a decision. Serum and AstraZeneca declined to comment.
One million doses have already arrived in South Africa last week.
Mr Mkhize said his country would start immunizing health workers with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week in an “implementation study”.
Almost 47,000 people have died from the virus in the country and about 1.47 million have been infected.
Although AstraZeneca’s shot may prove to be less effective against the South African variant, this variant is still extremely rare in the UK.
Only about 170 cases have been detected and intensive testing has been set up where small local foci have been found.
The so-called Kent variant, first detected in the South East, is dominant in Britain – against which the AstraZeneca jab is extremely effective.
Researchers say existing vaccines can be changed in a matter of months to cope with new variants, like that of South Africa.
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PM: the Oxford vaccine is “ effective ”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said fall shots could be set up to ensure that personal protection remains up to date.
Oxford vaccine principal researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert said her team was working on a suitable version of the vaccine to tackle the South African variant which may be “available in the fall”.
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