Coronavirus: South African health regulator registers Chinese Sinopharm vaccine
- Sahpra said the authorisation was ‘based on acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data’ from the July-December period
- Just 28 per cent are fully vaccinated in the country, which had a surge in cases in December driven by the Omicron variant
“This authorisation is based on acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by MC Pharma Pty (Ltd)” over the period from July to December, according to a statement from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, or Sahpra.
The inactivated vaccine – imported by MC Pharma in South Africa – was developed by Sinopharm and the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co.
Authorisation to use the vaccine is subject to conditions, including that it is supplied and administered in accordance with the country’s Covid-19 programme, and that the regulator is updated about the results of ongoing studies and safety data, according to the Sahpra statement.
Just 28 per cent of the country – which has a population of 59 million – is fully vaccinated, compared to a rate of more than 70 per cent in many developed nations. South Africa had a surge in Covid-19 cases in December, driven by the Omicron variant, but numbers have declined from the peak of over 26,000 new infections a day to 1,752 on Sunday.