South Africa to Vaccinate Health Care Workers With J&J COVID-19 Vaccine as Part of ‘Implementation Study’

A woman opens her mouth for a heath worker to collect a sample for the CCP virus testing during the screening and testing campaign aimed to combat the spread of COVID-19 at Lenasia South, south Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 21, 2020. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

South Africa will move forward with its phase one vaccination program to inoculate its health care workers with the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, though the vaccine has not been granted an emergency authorization usage.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Feb. 10 that the country could no longer wait to immunize its health care workers as the J&J vaccine has “proven effective” against the highly transmissible B.1.351 variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus—which causes COVID-19—that was first identified in the country in November 2020.