Johnson and Johnson vaccines are now available in South Africa, and the first few healthcare workers have been vaccinated
South Africa is poised to achieve a milestone in the worldwide response to the coronavirus pandemic when it becomes the first country to administer a Covid-19 vaccine created by the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson this week.
The vaccine is manufactured by Jessen, the company’s vaccine-making subsidiary. The vaccine has shown to be highly effective in human trials at preventing severe illness from a variant of the virus that emerged in South Africa in December, as reported by Quartz Africa.
The first few healthcare workers in the South African township Soweto, as well as the President and Health Minister of South Africa, have been vaccinated.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and health workers have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson jabs, which touched down at OR Tambo International Airport late on Tuesday night. | @kerushun https://t.co/aoaHtAQsj9
— News24 (@News24) February 17, 2021
Soweto-based healthcare workers were jubilant after being vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. | @ntwaagae https://t.co/Mr5Vpv9YJW
— News24 (@News24) February 17, 2021
According to Quartz Africa, To get the J&J jab into arms, South Africa will redeploy up to 500,000 doses that the company had set aside for global clinical trials, which showed the vaccine to be nearly 90% effective in preventing severe illness from Covid-19 caused by the 501Y.V2 variant.
