The deployment of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Namibia will be halted, the country’s health ministry announced on Saturday.
This was only days after South Africa’s medicines authority raised concerns about the vaccine’s safety for HIV-positive patients.
For the time being, SAHPRA has chosen not to approve an emergency use application for Sputnik V.
The decision came after certain research showed that vaccinations containing the Adenovirus Type 5 vector, like Sputnik V does, can increase men’s vulnerability to HIV.
HIV prevalence is high in South Africa and Namibia.
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The decision to stop using the Russian vaccination was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Namibia’s health minister.
Namibia stated the suspension would take effect immediately and persist until Sputnik V was given an Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization.
People who received the first dosage of Sputnik V, on the other hand, will be given a second dose to finish their immunization course.
The Serbian government donated 30,000 doses of Sputnik V to Namibia, but just 115 had been administered as of Oct. 20.
So far, only about 240,000 of the 2.5 million persons in the country have been properly vaccinated.
Namibia has also been employing COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Sinopharm, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, which were obtained through a combination of procurement agreements and contributions.
*This article was written by Gerald Gekara for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
