MOSCOW/JOHANNESBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) South African Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday the country will be suspending the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after health concerns raised by the US food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Earlier in the day, FDA issued a statement recommending a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six confirmed cases of blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets found in women between the ages of 18 and 48. The symptoms occurred between 6-13 days after vaccination.
"After this advisory came to my attention I held urgent consultations with our scientists, who have advised that we cannot take the decision made by the FDA lightly. Based on their advice, we have determined to voluntarily suspend our rollout until the causal relationship between the development of clots and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is sufficiently interrogated," Mkhize said in a statement to the media.
The minister added, however, that the country successfully negotiated for an additional 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, raising the total to 30 million secured this financial year. He also assured fellow South Africans that there have been no such blood clots reported in South Africa so far. Mkhize stated that he is confident that rollout of the J&J vaccine will resume after further testing.
The National education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) released a statement in response, showing appreciation for the health minister's decision and urging him to continue ensuring the safety of incoming vaccinations.
"We appreciate the timeous reporting by the Department of Health and we hope that this will ease any anxiety felt by those who have already been vaccinated. We call on the department to monitor all frontline workers who have received the vaccine and also urge frontline workers to report any sickness they may suspect to be from the vaccine," the union's statement read.
However, just because South Africa is seeing success so far in its battle to achieve herd immunity through mass vaccination programs, groups like NEHAWU see paths to hasten the process.
"The national union reiterates its call for the government to look at other countries for vaccines. Our search for effective and safe vaccines must also consider Cuba, China and Russia. With the third wave very imminent it is very imperative to move with speed in securing vaccines in order to reach herd immunity," they argued in their aforementioned statement.
South Africa is not alone in its decision to halt the distribution of the vaccine; Johnson & Johnson themselves decided to pause the rollout of their vaccine in Europe following the reports. Considering that the single-shot vaccine has been administered to millions of people around the world, experts say that the adverse reaction is extremely rare. Nonetheless, officials worldwide are taking precautions to protect the health and safety of their citizens.
