Prof. Salim Abdool Karim wants to focus on the other pandemic, HIV/Aids (Image courtesy of Caprisa)
As he steps down from the country’s national COVID-19 advisory committee, Professor Karim Abdool Karim says government has set a ‘new standard of transparency’ in its communication over the vaccine acquisition process. Karim also dismissed rumours that he was leaving the committee over professional differences.
Outgoing chairman of the COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee Professor Karim Abdool Karim said the South African government has been “very open” about acquiring vaccines for the national rollout. Instead, Karim has urged the nation to trust the government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Some leaders in the Eastern Cape say the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine rollout “has come as a blessing in disguise for the province”.
With the much anticipated first batch of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine delivered to South Africa last week, provinces have been gearing up to start vaccinating people as soon as next week. But on Sunday evening Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that the rollout of this vaccine to the country’s health workers is temporarily suspended after preliminary data showed the vaccine has low efficacy against the variant now dominant in South Africa.
Some leaders in the Eastern Cape say the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine roll-out “has come as a blessing in disguise for the province”.
With the much anticipated first batch of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine delivered to South Africa last week, provinces have been gearing up to start vaccinating people as soon as next week. But on Sunday evening Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that the roll-out of this vaccine to the country’s healthcare workers is temporarily suspended after preliminary data showed the vaccine has low efficacy against the variant now dominant in South Africa.