Kathmandu. February 8. South Africa has suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca Vaccine. The initial trials in about 2,000 showed that the vaccine offers only “minimal protection” against mild and moderate cases. 

Disappointed with the performance of Oxford’s vaccine delivered by the Serum Institute of India, Health minister Zweli Mkhize announced that the government will use vaccines produced by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the coming weeks.

Earlier in December, South Africa had ordered 1.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from India. The first shipment of 1 million quills arrived last week. After the inspection of the shipment, President Cyril Rampahosa had instructed the authorities to carry out an efficacy test of the vaccine before being supplied to the health institutions.

The South African government is preparing for a vaccination campaign to inoculate 40 million people, 67% of the country’s total population by 2021. The campaign will begin in mid-February. According to media reports, 1.25 million health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase.

Fearing the theft, the government has decided to store the imported vaccines in a highly secured central secret place from where the consignment shall pass to various hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. 

Last month, the official spokesperson of the Health Ministry Popo Maja said “The vaccines are a highly-rated commodity once they’re stolen and reach the black market. So, we may not even disclose where it is being centrally stored.”

South Africa has been largely affected by the pandemic. More than 14 lakhs viral cases and 46 thousand deaths have been reported so far.