Thread by @miamalan

[Thread] 1. Just in from Wednesday's cabinet briefing:
* The #CovidVaccine roll-out is still scheduled to start on May 17.
* There are now 3 338 vaccination sites (a list with the names hasn't been released).

2. When will can we start to use the 31 million #JohnsonandJohnson jabs that we've bought and will the first 1 million (from Aspen in SA) still land this week? We don't know. Neither @SAHPRA1 (our regulator; it needs to authorise use) nor @healthZA have made an announcement.

3. What do we know? Sahpra has recommended that the Sisonke trial (it uses J&J jabs) should resume. But before that can happen, Sahpra has to approve new docs submitted by the researchers (the study has to adhere to new rules set by Sahpra, e.g. better screening for blood clots).

4. So when will the Sisonke trial resume? In a press release of 20 April, the researchers and SA Medical Research Council said "within a few days". TimesLive reports co-lead researcher Glenda Gray said: "Next week": bit.ly/3xb7Dsp

5. If Sahpra approves the Sisonke study researchers' documents, does that mean it's okay for our wider #Covid19 vaccine roll-out to go ahead as well or is there another process for that? We don't know. Neither @SAHPRA1 nor @healthZA have issued an explanation.

6. People of 60+ have started to register on the EVDS. What should non-SAs without a passport/asylum /refugee nr do? @healthZA's Anban Pillay: I don't have a clear answer. Fwd to my colleagues as we haven't been presented with this ...previously where a person had no form of ID.

7. What jabs will SA be using? So far, J&J and Pfizer (the last announcement said we'll get the first batch of Pfizer jabs in the week of May 5). But you won't be able to choose which jab you get. J&J will mostly go to rural areas and Pfizer to urban areas.

8. Who above 60 (this is part of phase 2 of our roll-out) will get a jab first? The oldest people. So, in theory, the EVDS will give the oldest people appointments first (you won't get a date of appointment until we have jabs and we know we can use them).