South African health products regulation announced on Monday that the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine would not be approved owing to worries that it could raise the risk of HIV infection in men.
The decision was made based on previous research into the safety of the Ad5, a modified form of adenovirus that causes respiratory illnesses and is incorporated in the Russian vaccine.
“In South Africa, where HIV prevalence and incidence are high, use of the Sputnik V vaccination may raise the risk of vaccinated males contracting HIV,” the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority warned in a statement.
It went on to say that the business behind the application for Sputnik V’s use in South Africa had no assurance that the formula would be safe “in high HIV prevalence environments.”
The African country hardest impacted by the pandemic also has the world’s greatest population of HIV-positive people.
It has been dealing with vaccine apprehension.
To yet, just about a quarter of the 40 million people planned for vaccination by early 2022 have been properly vaccinated.
South Africa is preparing to begin immunizing youngsters as young as 12 years old this week, as well as providing booster doses to some immunocompromised residents.
It is currently offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson — which also contains an adenovirus but of a different type — and the rMNA Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
The Chinese-made Sinovac has also been approved.
The World Health Organization has not yet given Sputnik V the green light for emergency use, although it is being administered in at least 45 countries.
Culled from the guardian.ng