WATCH | ‘We will not waste the money’: Mkhize updates SA on ‘ineffective’ AstraZeneca vaccine

Health minister Zweli Mkhize hosted a public briefing on Wednesday morning to address the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine’s lack of effectiveness against the 501Y.V2 Covid-19 variant.

The minister said the outcomes of the efficacy studies “shocked everyone”.

He said the department will continue with the planned phase 1 vaccination rollout using the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine instead of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

“The J&J vaccine has proved to be effective against the 501Y.V2 variant and the necessary approval processes for use in SA are in progress,” said Mkhize.

He said the nationwide phase 1 vaccine rollout is expected to start next week, with the exact date to be announced by cabinet.

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