Tagged:

Hope For South Africa As First Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Underway

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, together with some healthworkers present at the Khayelitsha Hospital, were given their doses of the first Covid-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccine on February 17, 2021. Thousands of health workers across the country began training in January in anticipation of the vaccines arrival in the country. There was widespread concern after the AstraZeneca vaccine proved not to be strong enough in the fight against the 501Y.V2 variant of the novel coronavirus. It was then that Johnson & Johnson reassured government that it could provide a supply, replacing the 1,2 million AstraZeneca doses. The single-dose vaccines will be used to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers in both the private and public sectors. South Africa has the most reported cases on the continent - 1,494,119 - over 3,332,815 recoveries and more than 48,313 people have died.

InFocus

GCIS/Flickr

President Cyril Ramaphosa joins healthcare workers in receiving the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccination.

Follow AllAfrica

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.