🧵1. How many #COVID19 jabs does SA have?
#JoePhaahla:
1. 20 million+ vaccine doses in stock
2. There's been an increase in take-up over the past week
3. But there's still a risk that 100,000 doses that will expire on March 31 won't be used in time + need to be discarded
#JoePhaahla:
1. 20 million+ vaccine doses in stock
2. There's been an increase in take-up over the past week
3. But there's still a risk that 100,000 doses that will expire on March 31 won't be used in time + need to be discarded
2. #JoePhaahla:
1. SA is working with #COVAX to take up doses in SA that risk expiry before use and then return them later (so a kind of exchange programme)
2. Programmes right now specifically target the 18-34 age group where uptake is the lowest
1. SA is working with #COVAX to take up doses in SA that risk expiry before use and then return them later (so a kind of exchange programme)
2. Programmes right now specifically target the 18-34 age group where uptake is the lowest
3. Nicholas Crisp, @HealthZA:
More exact count of nr of #COVID19 doses in SA: 25 mil doses
- 13 mil = #Pfizer
- Pfizer = more difficult to store than #JnJ - once removed from low temperatures = limited shelve life
- All JnJ doses only expire in 2023
More exact count of nr of #COVID19 doses in SA: 25 mil doses
- 13 mil = #Pfizer
- Pfizer = more difficult to store than #JnJ - once removed from low temperatures = limited shelve life
- All JnJ doses only expire in 2023
4. Nicholas Crisp:
- Pfizer = 7 to 9 months shelf life in central storage (at very low temps)
- Once Pfizer doses = removed from central storage and transported to sites, they're stored at lower temps, which reduce the shelf life
- Pfizer = 7 to 9 months shelf life in central storage (at very low temps)
- Once Pfizer doses = removed from central storage and transported to sites, they're stored at lower temps, which reduce the shelf life
5. Nicholas Crisp:
- 1st #Pfizer batch that risks expiry before use: 100,000 doses (expiry = March 31st)
- This has been brought down from an original 400,000 doses that risked expiry by targeting the 18-34 year group via special programmes over the past 2 weeks
- 1st #Pfizer batch that risks expiry before use: 100,000 doses (expiry = March 31st)
- This has been brought down from an original 400,000 doses that risked expiry by targeting the 18-34 year group via special programmes over the past 2 weeks
6. Nicholas Crisp:
- @HealthZA doesn't want to release the 100,000 doses that risk expiry on March 31st from central storage because if they then expire before use the dpt will have to destroy doses in many different sites (= logistically complex + expensive)
- @HealthZA doesn't want to release the 100,000 doses that risk expiry on March 31st from central storage because if they then expire before use the dpt will have to destroy doses in many different sites (= logistically complex + expensive)
7. Nicholas Crisp:
- The dpt will only distribute the 100,00 doses that risk expiry (on March 31st) to sites if they're 100% sure those sites will be able to use them
- Instead, @HealthZA = distributing doses that will expire later + talking 2 countries/#COVAX 2 exchange doses
- The dpt will only distribute the 100,00 doses that risk expiry (on March 31st) to sites if they're 100% sure those sites will be able to use them
- Instead, @HealthZA = distributing doses that will expire later + talking 2 countries/#COVAX 2 exchange doses
8. Which other #Pfizer doses risk expiry?
Crisp:
- No doses = likely to expire in April
- But 7 mil doses = expire in May, June, July (@healthza = trying to swop these doses with countries who need them now)
- SA won't be introducing any new #COVID19 vaccine brands for now
Crisp:
- No doses = likely to expire in April
- But 7 mil doses = expire in May, June, July (@healthza = trying to swop these doses with countries who need them now)
- SA won't be introducing any new #COVID19 vaccine brands for now
9. More here: bhekisisa.org/health-news-so…
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