Read on Twitter
DDG Anban Pillay: COVAX has communicated to us that a date will be communicated in early January. Once this date is given, we will communicate it #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
DDG Anban Pillay: The Pfizer vaccine has to be stored at -70 degrees. We wouldn’t be able to store the large quantities required to vaccinate our country at these temperatures. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
Prof Barry Schoub: No vaccine is being produced in South Africa. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
DDG Anban Pillay: In the case of Pfizer they received a lot of support from USA. One of these conditions, when a government assists in funding is they usually have a condition on getting access to it. #VaccineStrategy
Schoub: There is a big advantage of having a trial done in SA. Those vaccines have been tested in our environment. We are able to see what it behaves like in the field and get experience in the trail monitoring & evaluation. #VaccineStrategy
DDG Anban Pillay: SA has not funded any trial, we have participated. The country that funds the trial makes the decisions ultimately. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
Safura Karim: I dispute that we are here because of poor planning. It is a result of a global system that prioritises profits over people’s lives. SA govt has taken very practical steps. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
Safura Karim: I think SA is in a very good position. We are doing the best we can in a system that is not geared to give access to us #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
DDG Anban Pillay: Can you imagine if we put all our money into a particular vaccine that has not come to bare? We would have told the South African public that we spent billion of Rands and the trial failed. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
Prof Barry Schoub: Having a vaccine will not end an epidemic. I think it is a common misunderstanding that we need to clear out. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
Prof Barry Schoub:These trials are organized on a research basis.They would approach the academic centre and negotiate with them directly. This is a bilateral understanding between the pharmaceutical company and the academic centre; it does not include government #VaccineStrategy
Prof Barry Schoub: it is biologically impossible to alter the DNA. The vaccine is mRNA. RNA is the messenger that takes the message from the DNA and translates it into protein. That mRNA is incorporated into a lipid capsule and gets into the muscle cell and then gets degraded.
Prof Barry Schoub: The Pfizer vaccine after the first shot is only about 50% effective. That is why a second shot is given. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
DDG Anban Pillay: We have not delayed the procurement at all. We took a decision that we would go with the COVAX Facility rather than taking risks and going with one vaccine supplier. This is a safer mechanism and we are about 1 of 198 countries procuring. #VaccineStrategy
DDG Anban Pillay: Suppliers do not have stock of the vaccines and most have agreements with countries first. When the vaccine does become available, it’ll be through government. #VaccineStrategy @MorningLiveSABC
DDG Anban Pillay: Regulators will determine whether the vaccine works or not. They do that independently of government and pharmaceutical companies. The same goes for safety, regulators will confirm if the vaccine is safe or not. #VaccineStrategy
Safura Karim:There have been a lot of countries who started rolling out vaccines before Phase 3 approvals were granted.These were granted through emergency use. We haven’t taken this route, Our regulators are ensuring that any vaccine rolled out is comprehensively tested.
Prof Barry Schoub: Ivermectin has been designed to treat worms. So far no clinical trial has shown that it is effective. #VaccineStrategy
Prof Barry Schoub: The top tier are the healthcare workers. In our role as the Advisory Committee, we have put healthcare workers at the top of our list for the vaccine. #VaccineStrategy
Prof Barry Schoub: Also the elderly particularly those who are in nursing homes, because they are at risk for complications. There are also key personnel other than healthcare workers and people in institutions. #VaccineStrategy
Prof Barry Schoub: Those with comorbidities will be in the second tier. #VaccineStrategy
Safura Karim: Many South Africans believe the vaccine is a silver bullet to ending this pandemic. That is not true. People need to adopt the NPI’s. The vaccine is not the solution in the short term. People need to take responsibility in controlling the epidemic #VaccineStrategy
DDG Anban Pillay: It is important we continue with non-pharmaceutical interventions like wearing masks and social distancing, particularly today on New Years Eve #VaccineStrategy
Prof Barry Schoub: There’s a lot of activity going on, we will be getting vaccines. There is one slight advantage that we do have over those countries that have rushed in, we have a wider choice of vaccines and can look at those most suitable to our conditions. #VaccineStrategy
