The SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) said it would evaluate data received for Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.

Sahpra CEO Boitumelo Semete said the data would be evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy of the vaccine.

This after the national health ministry confirmed last week that the manufacturers of the Sputnik V vaccine had submitted documentation for registration.  

The national health department started with the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, targeting front line workers, with the J&J vaccine believed to be more effective against the 501Y.V2 variant than the AstraZeneca vaccinations.

Reuters reported earlier this week that SA had grouped the Covid-19 vaccines, with the J&J, Pfizer and Moderna shots being considered for “immediate use”.

Bloomberg News reported that SA has concerns about the Sputnik's efficacy against the variant of the coronavirus first identified in the country. SA is also concerned about the adenovirus 5 vector used in the shot, which has in previous studies appeared to make people more susceptible to HIV infection, Anban Pillay, deputy director-general in the department of health, said during a webinar on Tuesday, the news agency reported.

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