South Africa Failed To Get Its Act Together On Vaccines: Here’s How

SOUTH Africa has an estimated population approaching 60 million. To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, the government recently set the ambitious goal of vaccinating 67% of the population – roughly 40 million people. According to the outline of this plan, this would be achieved within 2021.

But is this ambitious target even feasible?

In my view the proposed COVID-19 strategy is not a strategy, but rather an aspirational goal.

And an unrealistic one at that.

The elephant in the room is that the government has set a target of immunising two thirds of the population but it hasn’t as yet secured the 80 million doses this would require.

This is what we know. South Africa had committed to purchasing enough vaccines for up to about 10% of the population through the COVAX facility – roughly 12 million doses. The facility is a global collaboration for speeding up the development, manufacture