Thread by @miamalan

[Thread] 1. Helen Rees (Sahpra board chair): SA can only approve #COVID jabs for use if they've applied with @SAHPRA1.
* SA has approved: #AstraZeneca, #JnJ, #Pfizer
* @SAHPRA1 is looking at applications from Sinovac and Sputnik
* No other jabs have applied for approval

2. Where is @SAHPRA1 at with Sputnik? Sahpra has requested more data - Sputnik hasn't submitted all the data that is required for a complete review of the safety and efficacy of the jab.

3. One of the issues with the Sputnik jab is that the type of adenovirus it uses is similar to one used an an HIV vaccine trial that was stopped early because there was data which suggested that it led to an increased risk of HIV infection among uncircumcised men.

4. Where is @SAHPRA1 with Sinovac? Sahpra has requested more data from Sinovac. In the past 48 hours, Sahpra received a WHO dossier with data the WHO used to approve Sinovac for emergency listing. Sahpra will now review that data.

5. No #COVID19 vaccines are 100% effective. None were developed to specifically be effective @ the Beta variant (rather against the original form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus). The Beta variant (the main form of the virus circulating in SA) alter the effectiveness of all jabs.

6. When SA looks at which vaccines to procure, it is important to select jabs that show efficacy against the Beta variant (because that's the dominant variant in SA). Although the Beta variant reduces the efficacy of all jabs, it reduces the efficacy of some more than others.

7. After Sahpra approves a #COVID jab, it monitors what's happening in the general population (with the help of the SAMRC). It, for instance, monitors for safety signals that emerges in large roll-outs among millions of people (vs. clinical trials conducted among smaller groups).

8. Because of the Beta variant, Sahpra needs as much data as possible that shows if a vaccine is effective against the variant (as the Beta variant is dominant in SA). It's developing a protocol to use to monitor the effectiveness of all vaccines when they're rolled-out in SA.