South Africa Begins Vaccine Rollout After J&J Shots Arrive

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa will begin administering the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to health workers on Wednesday, following the arrival of a consignment of the shots.

“Health teams worked overnight to distribute the vaccines to most parts throughout the country,” South African Medical Research Council Chief Executive Officer Glenda Gray said in an interview with broadcaster SAfm. “In Cape Town, vaccination will start at 12 p.m.”

South Africa received an unspecified number of the J&J shots overnight and is in talks to procure an additional 20 million doses.

The country has recorded more than 1.49 million coronavirus cases, the most in Africa. A total of 48,313 people have succumbed to the disease, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

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