More than a million health-care workers can expect to receive a coronavirus shot by the end of March, after the health department secured a commitment from Pfizer for an initial tranche of 600,000 doses of its double-shot vaccine, health minister Zweli Mkhize told parliament on Thursday.
The government has prioritised health-care workers in its Covid-19 vaccination strategy, as they have been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Close to 700 are known to have died from Covid-19 in the past year, and the health department estimates health-care workers at three to four times greater risk of infection than the general public.
The Treasury announced in Wednesday’s budget that it had allocated R10.3bn for Covid-19 vaccines until the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year and will draw up to another R9bn from the contingency reserve if required, underscoring the government’s commitment to inoculating SA’s population against the coronavirus.
Tito Mboweni, the finance minister, had assured cabinet that vaccines were a priority that Treasury “would do everything to support”, said Mkhize.
The Pfizer vaccines, combined with the 500,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single-shot jab already committed to SA, would enable 1.1-million health-care workers to receive at least one shot by the end of March, said Mkhize.
The initial tranche of Pfizer’s vaccine would be used to vaccinate 600,000 health-care workers, and they would receive their second shot two to three months later, he said. Further supplies are expected in April, he said.
Pfizer’s vaccine is likely to be dispensed in urban areas due to its ultra-cold storage requirements, said Mkhize, emphasising that both vaccines on offer to health-care workers are safe and effective. “Our logistics are going to be based on the [ability to] maintain the stability of the vaccine. The best has been made available to our people,” he said.
J&J’s shot can be stored in an ordinary fridge for up to three months, making it more suitable for rural settings.
Pfizer’s communications manager for East and Southern Africa, Willis Angira, said the company had allocated doses for SA and was still negotiating with the government.
Equitable access
“While we don’t have anything to announce right now regarding our discussions with the SA government, we want to reiterate that Pfizer and BioNTech are firmly committed to supporting Covid-19 vaccine strategies on the continent and equitable access for Covid-19 vaccines for people around the world,” he said.
The health department also declined to provide further details on the Pfizer vaccines. Mkhize has previously indicated that the government had secured 20-million doses of Pfizer’s shot, and 9-million doses from J&J, but on Thursday he hinted these figures might change. “I must indicate those numbers were our opening negotiations. Once it is finalised, we will announce numbers.”
The government’s three-phase strategy aims to inoculate 67% of the population, or 40-million people, over the next 12 months. The first phase aims to inoculate 1.25-million health-care workers. Phase two targets 16-million adults including essential workers; people living in congregate settings; people over 60; and adults with comorbidities that place them at increased risk of severe Covid-19. Phase three aims to reach the remaining adult population, estimated at 22.5-million people.
The government’s vaccination drive began on February 18 with J&J’s shot, and by Wednesday evening 41,089 health-care workers had received a jab.
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