SAHPRA approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirneti® COVID-19 vaccine after BioNTech and Pfizer announced that two doses of their vaccine may not be enough to protect against the Omicron variant.
South Africa has approved the use of Pfizer’s coronavirus booster vaccine for people over the age of 18, amid growing concern after a record nearly 20,000 infections overnight were largely caused by new and highly-mutated omicrons. Responsible for the version.
The South African Health Products Authority (SAHPRA) on 8 December approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirneti® COVID-19 vaccine after BioNTech and Pfizer announced that two doses of their vaccine may not be enough to protect against the Omicron variant. .
It says the third dose of the vaccine can be given at least six months after their second jab to people under 18, or 28 days after the second jab for people over the age of 12, who are seriously immune-compromised.
The decision by SAHPRA comes after South Africa recorded a new high of 19,842 infections overnight. With 36 new deaths, the death toll has now crossed the 90,000 mark.
More than 60% of these infections were in the country’s economic hub, Gauteng province, as speculation grew that a more severe lockdown was imminent. South Africa is currently at the bottom of its five-pronged lockdown strategy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to hold urgent meetings with the Corona Command Council and his cabinet soon after returning from a week-long visit to four West African countries on Thursday.
There are growing fears that infection figures will continue to rise in other provinces as holidaymakers move to coastal provinces and Gauteng workers gather in their traditional family homes during the festive season.
Vaccine hesitation continued over the past week as infections staggered, despite repeated calls by the government, unions and business leaders.
On Monday, Health Minister Joe Fahla expressed concern over hospitals filling up with COVID-19 cases, although most of the cases were not serious.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Durban in Africa, Mr. Fahla expressed concern over children and expectant mothers.
“We are seeing infants, children and pregnant women on oxygen in the hospital. The message is clear, we need to be more vigilant than ever before,” cautioned the minister.
On Tuesday, Jacques van Zuydam, chief director of the Department of Population and Development of the Department of Social Development, revealed that South Africa’s life expectancy has been reduced by three and a half years due to the pandemic.
He was speaking at the BRICS webinar on the demographic impact of the pandemic.
“There was a significant increase in deaths in 2021, about 34% higher than in previous years,” he said, adding that what was not expected was the impact of the pandemic on mental health.
“There has been an increase in mental illness associated with increased social isolation, disruption of routines of daily living and pressures associated with loss of livelihood,” he said.
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