Johannesburg - Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said the R10 billion that has been allocated for the purchase and delivery of vaccines to give jabs to more than 40 million people by the end of the year will be sufficient.
In a written Parliamentary reply on Friday, Mkhize said work was under way to expand the rollout of the vaccine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday said that the supply of more vaccines from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson in the next few months would accelerate the vaccine rollout.
Ramaphosa said they have secured 30 million doses from Johnson & Johnson and another 20 mm doses from Pfizer.
The first consignment of 325 000 doses from Pfizer arrived in the country last weekend.
Mkhize had said last week that thousands of batches of vaccines from the pharmaceutical companies would be delivered every week.
This would ensure that they push up the number of people vaccinated in the country.
In his reply on Friday to a question from EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu, Mkhize said the R10bn will be sufficient for the rollout of the vaccines.
“Based on the current commitments that have already been made, sufficient vaccines to cover 47 million people will be available by the end of 2021, within the budget envelope of R10 billion for vaccine purchases,” said Mkhize.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Political Bureau