By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Health has backtracked on its decision to allow certain groups of people under 50 to apply for a Covid-19 vaccination.
In a circular sent to hospitals, health professionals and published on its website, the department initially said that the following individuals and groups will be considered eligible for vaccination outside of the vaccine roll-out eligibility criteria:
- Ministers, deputy ministers, premiers and MECs, as well their direct staff.
- Individuals where vaccination is requested by the presidency, the minister of health or the director-general of health.
- South African diplomats and their families who are posted overseas – during visits to South Africa.
- Individuals who have received one dose of Pfizer vaccine outside of South Africa more than 42 days ago will be eligible to receive a second dose of the vaccine.
- Individuals who need to travel outside of South Africa.
However, deputy director-general Dr Nicholas Crisp, who signed off on the original circular, says that it has now been retracted and will no longer apply.
“Following the circular on the vaccination of special groups and individuals against Covid-19 there have been numerous comments, queries and submissions that indicate that the Circular is unclear in its intentions. The circular is withdrawn in its entirety,” he said.
While no additional information was provided, acting health minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said on social media that the circular should not have been published in the first place as it was not approved.
“This was not authorised by inter-ministerial committee on vaccine (sic) which is the final decider on target populations.
“I have consistently maintained that I will vaccinate when my age group population is opened, this the stance by many of my colleagues. The circular has been withdrawn,” she said.
The retraction is another gaffe in South Africa’s Covid-19 response which has been plagued by vaccine delays, poor communication and corruption.
On Monday (5 July), South Africa reported 12,513 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total reported to 2,075,409.
Deaths have reached 62,171, while recoveries have climbed to 1,827,821, leaving the country with a balance of 185,417 active cases. The total number of vaccines administered is 3,459,660.
This was not Authorised by IMC on Vaccine which is the final decider on target population. I have consistently maintained that I will vaccinate when my age group population is opened, this the stance by many of my colleagues. The circular has been withdrawn ?????? pic.twitter.com/mnlUcjqxNc
— Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi (@mmkubayi) July 6, 2021
Meanwhile a new variant of the Covid-19 virus known as Lambda which was first detected in Peru some eight months ago is now circulating in South Africa.
This was confirmed by Professor Barry Schoub during an interview on Tuesday on the Power FM Breakfast show. Schoub urged people to remain calm while the country’s scientists gathered more data on the variant and whether or not vaccines were effective against it.
While the Delta Covid-19 variant continues to wreak havoc in SA and globally, a major concern is the Lambda variant, which carries mutations that could potentially make it more resistant to neutralising antibodies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Lambda Covid-19 variant accounts for around 81% of the cases reported since April in Peru and has since been added to the WHO’s list of variants of interest.
However, the global health body believes such strains are less of a threat than its four “variants of concern” — Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta originally detected in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India respectively — but says they need to be monitored closely.