South Africa declines to use Russian-made COVD-19 vaccine

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – South Africa’s health products regulator announced Monday that it would not approve the rollout of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in the country.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said it has been engaged in a review of the data for the vaccine since the initial application was submitted in February 2021, but found that it might increase the risk of vaccinated males getting infected with HIV.

The regulator said the Sputnik V vaccine combines two separate adenovirus-vectored constructs, one relying on the Adenovirus Type 26 (Ad26) and the other on Adenovirus Type 5 (Ad5), as the delivery vehicles for the antigen.

“Concerns have been raised about the safety of Ad5-vectored vaccines in populations at risk for HIV infection. One of the challenges faced by such vaccines is the presence of pre-existing Ad-specific neutralizing antibodies in the general population,” SAHPRA said in a statement.

The regulator also said it had held consultations with expert committees, including leading members of the local and international scientific community before the decision was taken.

South Africa has one of the highest COVID-19 caseload on the continent with over 2.9 million infections and 88,612 fatalities reported. HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious health concerns in South Africa where 7.7 million people are living with the virus, the highest in the world.