Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says government has secured agreements for 51 million doses of vaccine doses from pharmaceutical Johnson and Johnson to combat COVID-19. He has also announced that the next batch of vaccine doses from the company is expected to arrive in the country on Monday.
Mkhize visited the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Parktown accompanied by Gauteng Premier, David Makhura.
He is inspecting some vaccination cites in Gauteng to establish their preparedness for the next phase of the vaccine rollout, which will include the elderly and essential workers.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize inspects Gauteng vaccination sites:
Mkhize told the media that the 17th of next month will mark the end of the first phase. The second phase will start then and end in October.
“With Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson behind us, we have now secured a combined 51 million doses of vaccine – 31 million from Johnson and Johnson, which is a one–dose vaccine and then 20 million from Pfizer which is a two–dose vaccine. There will be some vaccines coming from the Covax facility. Our mass rollout campaign is officially due to begin at the conclusion of Phase 1 on 17 May. The final tranche of the 200 000 Sisonke protocol from Johnson and Johnson, these will actually land probably on Monday,” says Mkhize.
Mkhize’s full remarks during the sites visit in the statement below:
