Another 500 000 doses are expected next month, with healthcare workers being prioritised
The vaccine has already been approved by various regulators and is currently being rolled out in other countries
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday that South Africa will be receiving one million Covid-19 vaccine doses in January, followed by an additional 500 000 in February from the Serum Institute of India Ltd. which is producing the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, News24 reported.
“We are all happy that the Serum Institute of India and AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved by various regulators and is being rolled out. SAHPRA is applying reliance on that regulatory framework, Mkhize said.
Cases of new UK mutant COVID strain go up to 73 in India
The number of people who have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country has climbed to 73, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.
These cases include the 58 which were announced by the ministry till Tuesday. The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus first reported in the UK now stands at 73, the ministry said.
All these people have been kept in single room isolation in designated healthcare facilities by respective state governments, the ministry had said on Tuesday.
Who’s On the Hook If COVID-19 Vaccines Go Wrong?: Viewpoint By Anjani Trivedi, Bloomberg Opinion and Andy Mukherjee, Bloomberg Opinion | January 7, 2021
The COVID-19 vaccines are here and distribution has begun. But what if something goes wrong?
Whether it’s a loss of income, hefty medical bills or other serious adverse effects from getting a shot, someone has to pick up the tab, be it vaccine manufacturers or governments. In the past, so-called liability shields have given companies cover to produce effective treatments quickly without legal exposure. But it’s a risky endeavor for countries to absorb full responsibility for highly novel products, developed and licensed at lightning speed. Especially when every man, woman and, eventually, child will need to be injected.