The Covid 19 vaccine producing company, Pfizer Inc., has said it be will transporting 4.5 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to South Africa by June, helping the country increase its vaccination drive.
The initial 325,260 dosages were to arrive on Sunday night, Zweli Mkhize, South Africa’s minister said in a statement; though there has been no news of its arrival yet. The government also expects Johnson & Johnson to release stock from the Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.’s plant in the nation by the middle of May following a verification process with regulators, according to the statement. Aspen is making the J&J antibodies under permit.
South Africa, which is the most affected country by the Covid pandemic on the mainland with over 158 million cases, falls behind developing business sector peers in immunizations. It halted J&J vaccines after health agencies last month called for their suspension in the U.S. The J&J shot is a key element to the nation’s vaccination plan and has already been used to inoculate health workers, with no reported adverse effects.
