The move comes after data from the study show that the jab offers limited protection against mild to moderate diseases caused by the coronavirus variant 501Y.V2
South Africa has suspended the use of the Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in its immunization program until a committee of scientists advises on the best course of action.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s announcement came on Sunday after data from studies showed that the vaccine developed by doctor AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford offered limited protection against mild and moderate diseases caused by the 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant first identified in Africa by South.
The government had planned to soon launch the Oxford / AstraZeneca shots to health workers after receiving a million doses produced by India’s Serum Institute on Monday.
Instead, it will offer vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer in the coming weeks, while experts consider how the AstraZeneca fire can be implemented.
“When new information is brought to light and viruses change and move, decisions must be made. This is possibly the reason why the launch of the AstraZeneca vaccine is currently pending. In the next few weeks, South Africa will have the J&J and Pfizer vaccine, ”Mkhize said on the Independent Online website.
The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, which conducted the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine study, said in a statement on Sunday that the vaccine “provides minimal protection against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection” in the South African variant.
But in a full paper to be published Monday, AstraZeneca said none of the 2,000 participants, nearly 31 years old, developed severe symptoms. This could mean that it will continue to have an effect on severe diseases, although there is not yet enough data to make a final judgment.
The data, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, “seem to confirm the theoretical observation that mutations in the virus observed in South Africa will allow the virus to continue to be transmitted to vaccinated populations,” he said.
“Protection against moderate to severe illness, hospitalization or death could not be assessed in this study because the target population was at low risk.”
An AstraZeneca spokesman also said that the company has begun to adapt its vaccine against the variant and “will advance rapidly through clinical development, so that it will be ready for autumn delivery, if necessary.”