Nzimande vows to invest millions to allow SA scientists, pharmaceuticals to produce locally branded Covid-19 vaccine
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Johannesburg - Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has vowed to invest millions to allow South African scientists and pharmaceuticals to produce a locally branded vaccine to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nzimande said the planned investment would go ahead soon while his Science and Innovation Department was due next month, to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a Science and Technology University, which would have as its primary objective to produce vaccines, not only for Covid-19 but also for other pandemics.
Vaccines have provided antibodies to some South Africans infected with Covid-19, helping them to fight against the potency of the virus, a study shows.
Over 22 000 Covid-19 deaths since December as vaccine touches down in SA
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Johannesburg - There have been over 22 000 coronavirus-related deaths since December 1, which means in just two months there have been more deaths than in the first eight months when the virus first hit South Africa.
In the eight-month period between March and November 2020, just over 21 900 people had died Covid-19-related deaths.
This has effectively doubled SA’s Covid-19 death toll in just two months, rocketing to 44 164 as of Sunday night (January 31).
In terms of infections, there were just over 790 000 infections between March and November 2020, while there were just over 660 000 infections between December 1 and January 31, 2021.