Thread by @miamalan

[Thread] 1. SA’s commercial #CovidVaccine roll-out will start in April, the government says. Which jabs will we use? For now, J&J (the same jabs used in the Sisonke implementation study) and Pfizer. We will also consider Moderna, but no deals yet.

2. Why are we using J&J + Pfizer? SA trials showed J&J works well against the new variant, #501YV2. Pfizer hasn’t been tested in SA, but lab tests suggest it has reduced efficacy @ 501Y.V2. But because the efficacy is high (95%), even the reduced efficacy will provide protection.

3. Have the jabs been approved for commercial use in SA? Pfizer received emergency use authorisation (called Section 21 approval in SA) in March. J&J has not yet been approved (only for research), but on Monday @SAHPRA1 said an announcement will be made “within the next days”.

4. How many J&J + Pfizer jabs have we bought? 11 million J&J + 20 million more are almost in the bag (they’ll mostly come from Aspen’s plant in Gqeberha). We’ve also procured 20 million Pfizer jabs. Doses were all directly bought from J&J/Aspen or Pfizer. bit.ly/3rCZngz

5. How many people will the J&J + Pfizer jabs cover? Because J&J requires only one dose, the 31 million doses will cover 31 million people. Because Pfizer requires two doses, the 20 million doses will cover 10 million people. So in total we’ve got doses for 41 million people.

6. When will the jabs arrive? We don’t have exact dates. But #CyrilRampahosa said we’ll get some of the J&J jabs in April (likely 2.8 million). #ZweliMkhize said in parliament he expects 600 000 Pfizer jabs (100 000 from #COVAX) by the end of March. Today’s the last day of March.

7. Who will get Pfizer jabs + who will get J&J shots? J&J will be used in rural areas a lot + for older people who'll find it hard to return for 2nd shots. Pfizer will be used in urban areas because it’s harder to store and city facilities are better equipped for complex storage.

8. How does storage differ? J&J can be stored in a refrigerator (2-8 degrees Celsius) for 3 months. Pfizer only lasts for 5 days in a refrigerator + requires a freezer (-20 degrees Celsius) to last for 14 days. For 6 months ultra-cold freezers (-70 degrees Celsius) are required.

9. When will your turn to get a jab arrive? If you’re a health worker: Feb-April (the Sisonke study had covered 251 707 workers by the end of Mon). If you fall in phase 2 (see slide): May-Oct (older people + those with comorbidities will come first). Phase 3: Nov-Jan/Feb 2022

10. #ZweliMkhize told the portfolio health committee in parliament on Tue “the entire adult population” will be vaccinated within a year (Feb - Feb). That’s roughly 40 million people. What’s the plan? Mkhize says he wants to vaccinate 200 000 people/day at more than 2000 sites.

11. How will the private sector help? Discovery says it can vaccinate up to 50 000 people a day from 1 May for 550 000 high-risk members. All medical schemes will have to pay for their members’ vaccinations.

12. How will you know where to go for your jab? You’ll have to register on the gov's EVDS system. Phase 2 candidates can start to register in April. The system will allocate a site closest to your work/home. Sites = hospitals, pharmacies, GPs, shops, conference centres, gyms etc.