COVID-19: EU to return millions of made-in-Africa J&J vaccine doses to Africa
The European Union has agreed to send millions of coronavirus vaccine doses made in South Africa back to the continent, an African Union envoy said on Thursday.
South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare, which produces the Johnson & Johnson vaccine under a contract with the US pharma giant, will also stop sending doses to Europe, Strive Masiyiwa told reporters at an online briefing.
The announcement came with Africa struggling to immunise its people against Covid-19, partly because of a lack of supply and widespread vaccine hesitancy.
“All the vaccines produced at Aspen will stay in Africa and be distributed to Africa,” the African Union’s special Covid envoy said, adding that Aspen’s arrangement to export the doses to Europe had been “suspended”.
“This issue has been corrected and corrected in a very positive way.”
The announcement followed a meeting in Berlin between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, he said, adding that the first supplies were expected this month.
“In addition, the Europeans committed to give us 200 million doses before the end of December,” Masiyiwa said at the briefing by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
At the same news conference, Africa CDC director John Nkengasong said that the number of people who have been fully immunised against coronavirus on the continent was about 2.93 per cent.
Also on Thursday, the World Health Organisation warned that most African countries were likely to miss the “crucial” goal of vaccinating the most vulnerable 10 per cent of their populations against Covid-19 by the end of the month.
Source: expatica.com
Trending News
Public schools rebranding: We’re switching to blue and white, we’re painting all schools – Adutwum
08:06Surrender Ghana to the Lord – Alan to Akufo-Addo gov't
13:42Supreme Court declares as unconstitutional parliament’s approval of salaries, allowances for first lady, veep's wife
14:33Economist adopts 13 constituencies to bolster NDC's chances in 2024
13:29Mahama’s accusations of partisanship in election official appointments not true, we’re committed to conducting fair elections – EC
07:18Galamsey: Five Burkina Faso nationals caged 20 years each for mining
09:31'It's disrespectful!' – Asogli State tackles gov't's 'no-consultation' move to rename Ho Tech. Uni. after Ephraim Amu
13:23Lands Minister gives FGR deadline to revamp its mining operations; assures workers of commitment to their welfare
17:22Lagos officials praise Jospong Group’s eco-friendly waste management module, eyes similar module
12:57Be truthful on dumsor: Omane Boamah to Napo
13:31