South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday applauded the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decision to approve the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, reported CGTN Africa.
The emergency approval for the China-based firm Sinovac’s two-dose vaccine CoronaVac means the vaccine will now be included in the COVAX global vaccine-sharing facility that aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world, particularly in poorer countries.
“We welcome the news that the World Health Organisation has validated the Sinovac from China COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use,” Ramaphosa told parliament in Cape Town.
The South African president lauded the WHO’s approval as a crucial step that should move South Africa’s regulatory authorities to look into purchasing Sinovac.
The WHO said Sinovac serum is easy to store and therefore easy to manage, and particularly suitable for countries with few resources.
South Africa has reported over 1.6 million coronavirus cases so far of which 56,601 were fatalities. Around 1,045,104 people in South Africa have received the vaccine doses so far, mainly health workers and the elderly- who are yet to receive a second jab- using the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Ramaphosa said the government continues to engage with various vaccine manufacturers to ensure a reliable and diverse supply of vaccines. He stressed, once again, the need to waive intellectual property rights over coronavirus vaccine, claiming it would speed up vaccine distribution and boost the local pharmaceutical market.
“It will pave the way for the development and growth of local pharmaceutical industries in our own country, on the continent as well and in other developing countries,” the South African president said.
South Africa and India’s global campaign to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines has been supported by the other BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, China — at this week’s meeting of five of the world’s biggest emerging economies held in Delhi.
