Faizel Patel – 26/11/2020
South Africans could be in the race to be one of the first countries to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni this week announced that government has invested R500-million in the vaccine consortium that is looking to produce a vaccine against the virus.
It is believed that government is going with the COVAX global Covid-19 vaccine distributions, with a committed purchase that will see 10% of the entire population receiving the vaccine.
Speaking to Radio Islam, CEO of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Dr Glenda Gray says the COVAX global COVID-19 vaccine distribution uses a double mechanism and its buying power to procure vaccines from all sources and distribute it to people that have bought into it.
Dr Grey says she hopes the first batch of vaccines will be delivered before winter sets in.
“We expect the epidemic to be worse in the winter months than in the summer months even though at this moment in time we seem to be battling with a resurgence.”
Dr Greys says some of the vaccines need to be stored at minus seventy degrees, which requires a sophisticated refrigeration system.
“So hopefully the Pfizer vaccine that requires minus seventy refrigeration, there’ll be lots of innovation now that they know it works. They will probably try and make sure it’s more stable at better temperatures that can be distributed across the world. So that’s what they’ll be working on in the next couple of months.”
Dr Grey says more data is required about the COVID-19 Vaccines.
“All these vaccines are incredibly effective at all age ranges. But now we need to find more data on younger people to make it available and also to have information on women who are pregnant because obviously we have a lot of healthcare workers who are pregnant, who are working in the front line who also need to be protected.”
Dr Grey says despite the vaccines being found by Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca, other vaccine research and trials must continue they may be more effective with less side effects and even cheaper.
Listen to the interview with Dr Glenda Gray
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