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Head of SA’s coronavirus committee steps down

Head of SA’s coronavirus committee steps down

THE chairman of South Africa's Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 (MAC), Professor Salim Abdool Karim, stepped down yesterday, the health ministry said, following a meeting of the body to mark the first anniversary of its formation. Professor Marian Jacobs, previously co-chair of the advisory body, will take up the role temporarily, the ministry said. South Africa has been the hardest hit nation on the continent by COVID-19, with the highest number of confirmed cases at over 1.5 million, with more than 50,000 related deaths. The rollout of vaccines has been slow, with only 207,000 people, mainly frontline health workers, inoculated…
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South Africa to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine in steps to assess efficacy

South Africa to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine in steps to assess efficacy

JOHN REVILL SOUTH Africa will roll out AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in a "stepped manner" to assess its ability to prevent severe illness, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, co-chair of South Africa's Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, said yesterday. South Africa said on Sunday it would put on hold its use of the AstraZeneca shot after research showing it was only minimally effective in preventing mild-to-moderate illness against a variant of the coronavirus now dominant in the country. Professor Salim Abdool Karim Speaking to a briefing of the World Health Organization (WHO), Abdool Karim said it was too early to say whether…
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