Makhura was speaking at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Wednesday, where the first frontline healthcare workers in the province received their Johnson & Johnson jabs. 

“The security of this vaccine is extremely important, where they are stored. We have also seen in some instances that fake vaccines can also be smuggled into our own markets here so the law enforcement agencies will do everything to ensure that there is no distribution of vaccines that are not approved. 

“They are already cracking some of these scams and they have been able to crack up warehouses in two areas in Gauteng where they found vaccines that are not approved,” said Makhura. 

The first batch of Johnson and Johnson vaccines arrived in South Africa on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize were among the group in the Western Cape who received the first vaccinations in the country.

South Africa has become the first country in the world to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Jacaranda FM