SAMA Welcomes New Boosters

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has said that it is “delighted” that the new Johnson & Johnson booster shots are now available.

Last week the Department of Health announced that these booster jabs will be available to all those who received their first J&J shots less than two months ago.

The Department also announced that Pfizer boosters will be available from today to all those who received their second Pfizer jab more than six months ago.

According to the Department: “Booster doses are the same vaccine, in the same dose, administered to people who have had a primary vaccination series, and are administered to allow the body to boost its immunity to the Covid-19 virus”.

SAMA chairperson, Dr Angelique Coetzee, has encouraged all eligible South Africans to get their boosters as soon as possible. She said: “Importantly, we want to encourage all those, especially healthcare workers, who have yet to be vaccinated to do so – not only for their own health, but for the health of the nation.”

South Africa’s COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped to 22%, as of today the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases identified in SA is 3 417 318. Over the past 24-hour reporting cycle, 3,782 tests came back positive, while 15 more people have died in the country, taking the known death toll to 90,829.