South Africa is conducting an ongoing immunisation campaign against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in response to the ongoing pandemic in the country.
On 17 February 2021, South Africa started its national vaccination program against COVID-19. The program will go through in phases, prioritizing healthcare and frontline workers and then those over the age of 60. According to health officials, South Africa has administered 38,717,957 vaccine doses across the country . South Africa has accepted delivery of 3 different vaccines, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca, administering both Janssen and Pfizer-BioNTech, with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine suspended, after a small study cast doubt on its effectiveness against the Beta variant.
Background
Rollout strategy +National Vaccine Rollout StrategyPhasePriority groupStart datePeopleeligibleProgressPeople Vaccinated(2021-12-22) Phase 11aFront-line and health care workers (Sisonke Protocol)17 Feb 20211bRemaining health care workers17 May 2021 Phase 2 Age Based Prioritisation 2aiPeople over 6017 May 20213 627 6402aiiPeople 50-595 July 20212aiiiPeople 35-4915 July 2021Employment Based Prioritisation2biTeachers and support staff23 June 2021 TBA2biiPolice Force, SANDF, inmates & prison staff5 July 2021TBA2biiiFrontline social workers19 July 2021TBA2bivMedia workers and journalists30 July 2021TBA TBA Phase 33People 18-3420 Aug 2021 Phase 4 4aKids and teenagers 12-17 1st Dose20 Oct 20216 500 000 4bBoosters for Sisonke Trial participants 10 Nov 2021 231 6464cAdditional doses for immunocompromised over 181 Dec 2021 TBA 8 918 Phase 55aKids and teenagers 12-17 2nd Dose9 Dec 2021 846 724 26 8465bUndocumented MigrantsTBA TBA N/A5cBooster doses for those over 18TBA TBA TBA
Registration
As of 20 October 2021, registration for the COVID-19 vaccine has been opened to people aged 12 and older. There are currently 5 ways to register for the vaccine, including online on the EVDS platform. All services are zero rated, meaning airtime, data or money are not required to use the service.
Vaccines on order
South Africa has ordered 60 million doses of vaccines, received 52.6 million doses in donations and expects a total of 9 million doses from Covax, with 320 million doses of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines to be manufactured locally for international and local distribution. South Africa has accepted delivery of 11,059,420 doses of vaccines, with 1.5 million doses cleared after local manufacturing.
Vaccine name Approval progress Quantity Doses arrived Accepted delivery Section 21 (EUA) Began administeringFull ApprovalOxford–AstraZenecaEUA Suspended 1.5 Million 1,000,000 Janssen Registered 30 Million 6,401,600 Pfizer–BioNTech Registered 30 Million 11,274,120 CoronaVacEUA ApprovedTBA 0 COVAX Pfizer–BioNTechRegistered1.4 Million 1,400,000 Other (TBA)EUA pending 7.6 Million 0 Donations United States of AmericaPfizer–BioNTechRegistered7.86 Million7.86 MillionTBATBATBAPending Local Manufacturing Janssen Registered 220 Million 32 Million Pfizer–BioNTechRegistered100 Million0TBA (mid 2022)TBATBAPending
Vaccine Consignments
Johnson & Johnson consignment (Phase III/Sisonke Protocol)
Consignment 11 doses 17 February 2021 Fully used Consignment 2 2 doses 27 February 2021 Fully used Consignment 3 3a doses 7 March 2021 Fully used3b doses 13 March 2021 Fully used3c doses 20 March 2021 Fully used Consignment 44 doses 11 April 2021 Used, remainder doses allocated for further studies
Johnson & Johnson Consignment (Section 21/EUA Approval) Consignment 1 (manufactured locally)1 doses April Manufactured (destroyed due to contamination)2 doses May Manufactured (destroyed due to contamination) 13 June Stock will not be used due to ingredients being contaminated Emergency Consignment (make up for contaminated doses)1 doses 18 June Fully used2 doses 24 June Fully used Consignment 21 1 454 400 doses26 JulyIn Use 2 619 200 doses9 AugIn Use31 413 600 doses6 SepDelivered 41 360 800 doses13 SepDelivered 5 TBA Sep 2021 TBA Consignment 31 doses Q4 2021 TBA
Oxford-AstraZeneca Consignment
Consignment 11a doses 1 February 2021 Received1b doses 14 February 2021 Canceled and refunded1c doses 20 February 2021 1,000,000 doses sold to AU members
Pfizer-BioNTech Consignment Consignment 11 doses 3 May 2021 Fully used2 doses 10 May 2021 Fully used3 doses 16 May 2021 Fully used4 doses 24 May 2021 Fully used Consignment 21 doses 31 May 2021 Fully used2 doses 7 June 2021 Fully used3 doses 14 June 2021 Fully used4 doses 21 June 2021 Fully used5 doses 28 June 2021 Fully usedConsignment 31190 710 doses 7 July 2021Fully used2288 990 doses12 July 2021Fully used3673 920 doses19 July 2021Fully used4968 760 doses26 July 2021Fully usedConsignment 411 556 100 doses2 Aug 2021Fully used21 556 100 doses9 Aug 2021Fully used31 556 100 doses16 Aug 2021In use41 556 100 doses23 Aug 2021In use51 556 100 doses30 Aug 2021Delivered61 556 100 doses6 Sep 2021Delivered 4 063 400 doses TBA Sep 2021 TBAConsignment 5 doses Q4 2021 TBA
CoronaVac Consignment Not yet ordered. Waiting for evidence of efficacy against Delta variant and for those with HIV
Donations United States Consignment 1 (Pfizer)1 doses31 July 2021In use2 doses2 Aug 2021DeliveredUnited States Consignment 2 (Pfizer)12 200 000 doses28 Aug 2021Delivered
COVAX
South Africa has so far paid R283 million ($20 million) to the organization in December 2020. COVAX has delivered 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine to the country on 28 June 2021.
Covax Consignment Consignment 1 (Pfizer)1 doses27 June 2021Fully usedConsignment 2 (Pfizer)11 181 706 dosesQ3 2021TBA
History
Timeline
February 2021 On 1 February 2021, 1 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine at O. R. Tambo International Airport sent by the Serum Institute of India.
On 7 February 2021, it was announced that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine did not work well in protecting clinical trial participants from mild or moderate illness caused by the 501.V2 variant. The vaccination program was announced to be put on a hold.
On 16 February 2021, South Africa received its first consignment of 80,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine and approved the vaccine for Phase III use under Sisonke Protocol for all health workers
On 17 February 2021, the national COVID vaccination program was officially rolled out, beginning at Khayelitsha District Hospital in the Western Cape Province where healthcare workers, the President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize were given shots of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
On 27 February 2021, South Africa had received its second consignment of 80,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine.
March 2021
On 5 March 2021, the number of doses administered surpassed 100,000.
On 13 March 2021, South Africa received Part 1 of its third consignment of 40,000 Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
On 17 March 2021, South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) approved the Pfizer–BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for use.
On 18 March 2021, South Africa received Part 2 of its third consignment of 66,000 Janssen vaccine.
On 19 March 2021, ImmunityBio announced that they will be conducting Phase 1 vaccine trials with their hAd5 vaccine in the United States and South Africa.
On 21 March 2021, South Africa sold and began transporting its 1 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to other African Union Members. Concerns over the rollout of the vaccine in African countries have been raised, as the 501Y.V2 variant speeds through African countries, with South Africa suspending the vaccine after a trial cast doubt on its effectiveness against the beta variant.
On 29 March 2020, the manufacturing of 220 million doses of the Janssen vaccine was approved to begin at the Aspen Pharmacare manufacturing facility in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.
April 2021 On 1 April 2021, the Janssen vaccine received Section 21 Approval (EUA), allowing for use outside of the current Phase III Trial (Sisonke Protocol).
On 6 April 2021, the government officially signed a deal with Pfizer for 20 million vaccines expected to begin arriving by the end of April.
On 13 April 2021, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize announced the suspension of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine use following health concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On 16 April 2021, The EVDS platform opened for Phase 2, allowing essential workers and the elderly to register.
On 17 April 2021, the government announced that the first batch of 325,260 doses of Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine would arrive on 3 May 2021. From there the same amount of doses are expected to arrive weekly, until 31 May 2021, where the number of daily doses delivered will increase to 636,480 weekly.
On 23 April 2021, 500,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine were delivered under the early access program (Sisonke Programme), with a further 1,000,000 million doses to arrive in April.
On 24 April 2021, Aspen Pharmacare announced that 1.1 million doses of the Janssen vaccine were due for release and to be used by South Africa.
On 26 April 2021, the government announced that the use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine would resume on Wednesday, 28 April 2021 with vaccination sites expanded to 95 sites countrywide.
On 28 April 2021, the Janssen vaccines suspension was lifted, and given the full approval for use by SAPRAH.
May 2021 On 2 May 2021, the government announced that the first 1.1 million doses of the Janssen vaccine would receive an extended safety assessment, in line with international regulators, and stock would be released in mid-May.
On 3 May 2021, the first batch of 325,260 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport via Lufthansa and Astral Aviation. The vaccines were then sent to the National Control Laboratory for quality assurance. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is set to be rolled out to South Africans from 17 May 2021.
On 9 May 2021, the second batch of 325,260 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport via Lufthansa and Astral Aviation.
On 10 May 2021, the last week of the Sisonke Protocol (Phase 3b) began. The trial was expanded to non patient facing health care workers, including administrative and supportive staff due to sufficient capacity and doses.
On 15 May 2021, the Sisonke Protocol ended with a total of 478 733 doses given to health care workers. The remaining doses were allocated to the Medical Research Council to conduct further studies of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine on certain population groups.
On 16 May 2021, the third batch of 325,260 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport via Lufthansa and Astral Aviation.
On 17 May 2021, Phase 2 of the vaccination program began and started with vaccinating old age homes with the 2-dose Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. Phase 2 ran alongside phase 1B to vaccinate the remaining 500 000 health care workers.
On 24 May 2021, the fourth and final batch of 325,260 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport via Lufthansa and Astral Aviation. Following this, next week doses delivered will increase to 636,480 doses weekly.
On 31 May 2021, the first batch of 636,480 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport via Lufthansa and Astral Aviation. This delivery is the first batch of consignment 2 with an incremental increase of 311,220 doses weekly.
On 31 May 2021, the total number of vaccine doses administered surpassed 1 million.
June 2021 On 7 June 2021, the second batch of 636,480 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived at O.R Tambo International Airport.