South Africa has received its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, the health minister announced Tuesday, putting it on track to become the first in the world to administer the injection.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Twitter that South Africa had received a total of 9 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, with the initial delivery containing 80,000 injections.
The vaccinations will start this week, he added.
About the vaccine: Developed by Janssen, the Belgium-based vaccine division of Johnson & Johnson, the single-dose vaccine has been shown to be effective in the prevention of moderate and severe diseases of the South African coronavirus variant.
The AstraZeneca vaccine: South Africa said it plans to share 1 million unwanted doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries in the African Union, after early data suggests it offered only “minimal protection” against mild and moderate infections of the South. African variant.