This archive report was first published on 19 August 2021.
On August 20, 2021, South Africa expanded its Covid-19 vaccination eligibility to include individuals aged between 18 and 35 years old, as part of its efforts to accelerate its immunisation drive.
The country, which has recorded the most coronavirus infections and deaths on the African continent, has so far only fully vaccinated less than 8 percent of its population of 60 million.
South Africa's vaccination campaign started slowly due to a mix of bureaucratic failures, bad luck, and onerous negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.
As of August 1, 2021, individuals aged 35 years and over became eligible to receive a vaccine, and the government has set a target of reaching at least 300,000 Covid-19 vaccinations a day by the end of the month.
South Africa is using the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines, and has signed bilateral deals with the two U.S. pharmaceutical companies, as well as receiving some Pfizer shots via the global vaccine distribution scheme Covax.
