This comes in spite of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yet to clear the use of the vaccine. The announcement by the FDA is expected sometime on Monday.

According to News24, the US medicines regulator has postponed its announcement on whether SA can release its Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses from Aspen's Gqeberha plant. Some key ingredients are manufactured in a local factory belonging to a company that the FDA is investigating for substandard pharmaceutical practices and the potential cross-contamination of ingredients.

The announcement has been postponed from Friday, 4 June to the week of 7 June. South Africa may receive an additional 480 000 Johnson & Johnson doses, but only if the US regulator finds it to be uncontaminated. The 480 000 doses will expire on 28 June and will be used to vaccinate staff at schools, instead of healthcare workers and people over 60.

Basil Manuel, from the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), says unions met with the department on Friday. At the meeting, they were told of the inoculation drive.  

 "So only by today would we know that the clearing process has happened, and then the rollout would start probably by Thursday over the next two and a half weeks.    

"So, all seem to be on track in every province people are preparing for the rollout and the actual administration of the vaccine," says Manuel.  

Manuel says the rollout is set to start with public schools and then move to private schools.  

He adds school staff are not expected to register since they are already on the department’s database. 

Jacaranda News