Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) yesterday approved the Johnson and Johnson vaccine (Janssen) for emergency use according to a letter from the MCAZ to the government.
Zimbabwe had earlier rejected Janssen with critics stating a frozen relationship between the African country and the Western countries.
Janssen becomes Zimbabwe first approved COVID-19 vaccine from the West.
MCAZ letter reads, “Based on a review of the submitted quality, safety and efficacy data upon performing a benefit-risk assessment thereof, emergency use authorization has been granted for Ad.26 Sars-Cov-S manufactured by Johnson and Johnson. This authorisation was issued on the basis of section 75 of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (15:03).”
“This emergency use authorisation is valid for a period of 12 months or when the public health emergency ends, whichever is shorter. If additional satisfactory data needed for full registration are submitted in an application to the Authority, then full marketing authorisation (registration) could be granted.”
Earlier Rejection
Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Finance and Economic Development, George Guvamatanga, had earlier on rejected the Johnson and Johnson vaccine (Janssen) stating that the Southern African country is not ready for the jab.
Allocation for the Janssen to Zimbabwe, under the African Union Covid-19 vaccination programme, was due for August 2021 according to a leaked letter from the Secretary to the Afreximbank Regional Offices in Zimbabwe.
Guvamatanga said the country is still putting measures to establish the cold chain management and management of anticipated adverse effects of the vaccines.
People who have used the Janssen vaccine, which is stored in a refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C, have reported side effects from the jab which include feeling tired, pain in the arm where they had the vaccine injection, headache, muscle pain, and nausea.
Vaccine Shortage
Zimbabwe rejected the Janssen jab at a time when health centres especially in Harare and Bulawayo are turning people away having run out of COVID-19 vaccines.
The national coordinator on the Covid-19 Response, Dr Agnes Mahomva on ZBC translated the shortage of vaccines to the Ministry of Health’s redistribution of the medication to other centres away from the country’s largest cities.
“The message that I want to bring out to the public is ‘please don’t panic'” she said.
The country yesterday received another batch of vaccines.
Japanese Support
Amid the Janssen challenge, Japan, in partnership with UNICEF, is already funding Zimbabwe to assist through the procurement of cold chain equipment as well as strengthening health facility capacity to manage the equipment for a smoother rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The support includes facilitating the training of 180 health care facility staff in all 63 districts in the management of the vaccine cold chain. This also includes the training of 8 Provincial Cold Chain Technicians in the maintenance and repair of the specialized equipment.
Ambassador of Japan to Zimbabwe, Satoshi Tanaka said; “This grant from the people of Japan will help to ensure that the vaccines can reach each and every person in all corners of Zimbabwe as soon as possible, thus helping to contain the pandemic.”
The plan is to deliver new cold chain equipment to 10 provincial and 50 districts centres, new Solar Direct Drive refrigerators to 97 health centres and to supply 500 vaccine carriers and new cold boxes to over 130 health centres.
COVID-19 Vaccine to Remain Free
The Zimbabwean government is also against the selling of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga at the official re-opening of St Annes’s Hospital warned the private players who are charging Zimbabweans for jabs.
VP Chiwenga said if the private players are not ready to participate in the vaccination programme on terms and parameters set down by Government, then they are advised to look elsewhere for profitable services, and not around vaccination.
“It is a no-go area for fortune hunters; those morally depraved practitioners who seek to fish in troubled times,” the Rtd General said.
Zimbabwe has to date received 6 785 000 doses of Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin and the Russian Sputnik, and non of the vaccines are from the West.
The country plans to vaccinate at least 60% of its population by the end of the year.
More than 1 522 150 people have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and another 694 685 got the second shot.
