The Health Department’s Deputy Director-General Nicholas Crisp says the health sector is prepared to begin vaccinating young people in the 18 to 35 years age group immediately.

Crisp says should the government decide to make the jabs available sooner they have the capacity to begin vaccinations.

The Health Department initially announced that this age group could register for vaccination from the beginning of September.

However, Health Minister Joe Phaahla indicated last week that there were enough vaccines in the country to revise the date and Crisp says a change of date could be announced soon.

Crisp says, “As far as I know it is being discussed and we hope to get an outcome and instructions on what to do with the preparations for that later today or tomorrow and we will surely get an announcement on whether there is going to be a change of the date or whether it will remain on the 1st of September…”

“We are ready, no matter what the decision is, we will be ready to implement,” added Crisp.

Phaahla to speak to cabinet on adjusting vaccination dates for everyone:

COVID-19 vaccines made in SA are being exported to Europe

Controversy is mounting over reports that Johnson and Johnson has been exporting millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses that are bottled and packaged in South Africa for distribution in Europe.

This is according to export records that the New York Times says it has seen from Johnson and Johnson, manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare, as well as the South African government.

Johnson and Johnson agreed to sell enough of its inexpensive single-shot vaccine to eventually inoculate a third of the continent’s residents.

The vaccine will be produced in part by South Africa’s Aspen Phamacare, a move that has raised hopes that the doses will quickly go to Africans.

South Africa is also reportedly paying more for the vaccines compared to countries in the European Union.

First supplies of locally produced J&J vaccine to be released from Aspen factory: