By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday that South Africa will suspend the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine over blood clot fears.
Mkhize was speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday night after the US Food and Drug Administration advised a temporarily suspension of its rollout of the J&J vaccine after six women developed “unusual blood clots” within two weeks of receiving the shot.
“We cannot take the decision of the FDA lightly. We’ve voluntarily suspend the rollout until the causal relationship between the blood clot and the vaccine is sufficiently interrogated,” he said.
Mkhize hoped this would be done within “a few days”.
South Africa has been administering the vaccine to more than 280 000 health workers as part of the Sisonke vaccine study which secured the early use of the vaccine in the country.
South Africa has procured 31 million of the J&J one-dose vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson said it will also delay the rollout of its Covid-19 vaccine in Europe.
The company said it is reviewing the cases of blood clotting with European health authorities, it said in a statement Tuesday.
The incident is another blow to the European Union’s vaccine campaign. The EU was relying on the single-dose vaccine to boost its immunization drive, and deliveries to the 27 member states had just started this week.
After a litany of supply and safety concerns around the Astra shot, immunisations have advanced in recent days in Germany, France and other countries.
The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that it’s not clear whether there’s a causal link between the vaccine and the clots. The EMA is investigating the cases to decide whether regulatory action is necessary.