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Bhisho puts the brakes on Covid vaccine demand

GUY ROGERS

People aged 35 to 49 should wait for the official opening of their vaccination [slot] next week

Bhisho has adjusted its vaccination strategy after a surge by Eastern Cape residents aged 35 to 49 eager to get their jabs and a subsequent dip in the availability of vaccine doses.

The announcement by the Eastern Cape department of health coincides with a historic one from pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare, which said its Gqeberha laboratory would begin on Monday with rolling out vaccines produced on behalf of US multinational Johnson & Johnson.

Eastern Cape health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said on Monday that the provincial government had initially looked at fast-tracking the vaccinations of this group, but the situation had since changed.

“When the government announced that people aged 35 to 49 would be vaccinated from August 1, a decision was taken to inoculate them ahead of schedule because of an abundance of vaccines.

“However, because of the overwhelming response from this economically active group, a decision has had to be made to continue with their vaccination from August.

“This is because we will prioritise the 50 and older groups with the doses we currently have so as to ensure we wrap up their vaccinations first.”

Kupelo said the department was expecting more vaccines, most of which would be used for the 35 and older category.

“To avoid the disappointment of being turned away at vaccination sites because of a possible shortage of vaccines, people aged 35 to 49 should wait for the official opening of their vaccination [slot] next week.”

Gqeberha resident John Harvey, 43, said he felt frustrated by the call from the department.

“I arrived at the Nelson Mandela University [NMU] vaccination station at 7.20 this morning [Monday] and was second in the queue.

“Then, at 7.50am, a staff member came out and asked who was in the 35 to 49 category.

“She told us, sorry, but they’ve been advised by the health department that they must accept no more walk-ins in our category and we can come back in August.

“I’m a bit worried we’re going to end up with an overlap where some people get both their jabs while others have not yet had one,” Harvey said.

In the announcement on Monday by Aspen Pharmacare, group chief executive Stephen

Saad said the company was proud to be helping to combat the global vaccine inequality situation.

“Aspen is pleased to confirm that the first supplies to SA of the J&J vaccines, which are from the new active pharmaceutical ingredient source in Europe, will be released to J&J from Aspen’s flagship Gqeberha-based manufacturing site later today [Monday],” he said.

“These vaccines will be distributed throughout SA in line with the various distribution arrangements between J&J, the national department of health and other stakeholders.

“In addition, vaccines from these batches will be made available through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task

Team/au platform.

“This represents a significant landmark, as these are the first Covid-19 vaccines to be produced in Africa by an African producer for SA and African patients.”

He said the Gqeberha facility was the only one in Africa and the southern hemisphere selected by a global multinational pharmaceutical company to contract-manufacture Covid-19 vaccines, and supplies would also be made available to the EU and other offshore markets.

Asked how the shortage of vaccines in the Eastern Cape correlated with Aspen’s announcement, Kupelo said only that there would be a media conference on Tuesday on this issue.

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2021-07-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

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