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By Lunga Masuku
MBABANE, Feb 9 (Reuters) - eSwatini will no longer use
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, its health minister said
on Tuesday, after a trial showed it gave minimal protection
against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 caused by the dominant variant
in South Africa.
eSwatini, a tiny kingdom formerly known as Swaziland that
borders South Africa, was due to receive AstraZeneca doses from
COVAX, the global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the
World Health Organization (WHO).
South Africa on Sunday put on hold the rollout of
AstraZeneca's vaccine after researchers published preliminary
data showing it had significantly reduced efficacy against the
more contagious 501Y.V2 variant identified late last year.
The researchers did not assess whether the AstraZeneca
vaccine protects against severe COVID-19, and the South African
government is consulting experts on how to proceed with the 1
million doses it has already received.
"The country has considered its close proximity with South
Africa. We felt that the variant could be in the country
already. We will no longer be using the AstraZeneca-Oxford
vaccine," Minister Lizzie Nkosi said in an interview on local
television.
"The change will mean that the government will be in talks
with other suppliers," she added, saying eSwatini would consider
doses from Pfizer or any other shot endorsed by the WHO.
AstraZeneca's chief executive said on Tuesday his company
believed its vaccine should still protect against severe
COVID-19. The British-Swedish firm said earlier that it was
adapting its vaccine to the 501Y.V2 variant.
eSwatini had hoped to receive enough vaccines for 20% of its
1.3 million population via COVAX free of charge and wanted to
buy additional doses for the rest of its people either via COVAX
or other sources.
It has recorded more than 16,000 COVID-19 cases during the
pandemic and 610 deaths.
Its Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini died in a South African
hospital in December after testing positive for COVID-19.
(Writing by Alexander Winning. Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark
Potter)
