South Africa halts AstraZeneca vaccinations due to variant data

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa to suspend use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in its vaccination schedule after data showed it offered minimal protection against mild to moderate infection caused by the variant dominant coronavirus disease in the country.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Sunday the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after disappointing results in a trial by the University of the Witwatersrand.

The government intended to distribute AstraZeneca to healthcare workers soon, after receiving one million doses produced by the Serum Institute of India on Monday.

Instead, it will offer vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the coming weeks, while experts consider how the AstraZeneca vaccine can be deployed.

“What does this mean for our immunization program which we expect will start in February? The answer is that it will continue, ”Mkhize said during an online press briefing.

“Starting next week for the next four weeks, we anticipate that there will be J&J vaccines, there will be Pfizer vaccines. It will therefore be these vaccines that will be available to health workers. “

“The AstraZeneca vaccine will stay with us … until scientists give us clear indications of what to do,” he added.