COVID-19: ÁFRICA DO SUL DOA VACINAS A UNIÃO AFRICANA

 Pretoria (From correspondent) - The South African government donated the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the country acquired from the Serum Institute of India to the African Union, ANGOP learned in Pretoria.

The information was released on Wednesday by the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize.

According to the source, South Africa asked the Serum Institute of India to withdraw one million doses of the vaccine that arrived in the country earlier this month, after a study showed that they had limited efficacy in mild and moderate patients infected with the second variant of Covid-19.

The minister denied rumors that the vaccines had been returned to their origin.

"The doses of AstraZeneca we bought were offered on the African Union platform of which we are a part and the AU will distribute to countries that have already expressed interest in purchasing these vaccines," said Mkhize.

The official added that the AstraZeneca vaccines have not expired and that the expiration date of April 31 was established in the quality control processes. "It just created the wrong impression," he said.

"Regarding the future role of AstraZeneca-and all vaccines-we continue to be guided by the Ministerial Advisory Committee and experts and remain committed to an approach that is led by science and is rational in its implementation," he underlined.