ALL REQUIRED DATA RECEIVED FOR SINOPHARM VACCINE TO BE REGISTERED - SAHPRA

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has given the go-ahead for the jab to be used in the country.

FILE: Empty vials of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine. Picture: AFP

Kevin Brandt |

CAPE TOWN - The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) said that it had received acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data on the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

Sahpra has given the go-ahead for the jab to be used in the country.

The authorisation is, however, subject to a number of conditions which includes that the vaccine is supplied and administered in accordance with the national coronavirus vaccination programme.

It's administered as two doses by intramuscular injection at an interval of two to four weeks.

The regulator has also registered the Pfizer jab, which was previously registered for emergency use only.

Spokesperson, Yuven Gounden, said that the Sinopharm COVID-19 jab had been authorised for people 18-years-old and older.

"Sahpra received all the required data to enable full registration. To date, these two vaccines and the Janssen vaccine are the three vaccines that have market authorisation - that is full authorisation," Gounden said.