AFRICA’s first COVID-19 vaccination plant, touted last year as a trailblazer for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts, risks shutting down after receiving not a single order, a company executive said on Saturday.
South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare APNJ.J negotiated a licensing deal in November to package and sell Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ.N COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it across Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) called the deal a “transformative moment” in the drive towards levelling stark inequalities in access to COVID vaccines.
With only a sixth of adults in Africa fully vaccinated, according to the latest WHO figures from the end of March, Aspen’s agreement to sell an Aspen-branded COVID-19 vaccine, Aspenovax, throughout Africa seemed like a sure bet.
South Africa, which has vaccinated 30% of its population, also looks set to experience a fifth wave of infections.
Yet, “There’ve been no orders received for Aspenovax,” Aspen senior director Stavros Nicolaou told
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
