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COVID-19: unpacking South Africa’s plan to vaccinate adolescents

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Tendesayi Kufa-Chakezha, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Melinda Suchard, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and Michelle J. Groome, National Institute for Communicable Diseases South Africa has extended COVID-19 vaccination to adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years. In the week of 10-16 October 2021, this age group made up 14.7% of new COVID-19 cases reported, …

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Malaria vaccine is a major leap forward: but innovation mustn’t stop here

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Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Shüné Oliver, National Institute for Communicable Diseases The World Health Organisation (WHO) took an historic step in the fight against malaria when it recently recommended the use of a malaria vaccine for young children. The announcement marked a major achievement – the development of the first ever …

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Want to develop vaccines in Africa? Then invest in expertise and infrastructure

Blog, COVID-19, News / By

In little more than a year from the onset of COVID-19, scientists successfully developed vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for world-wide use. Three main factors contributed to this extraordinary feat. One, unprecedented collaboration between international scientists. Two, scientists were able to obtain exquisitely detailed images of the virus proteins and the human proteins that they …

Want to develop vaccines in Africa? Then invest in expertise and infrastructure Read More »

Rabies: Bark up the right tree through pet vaccination

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The increase recent rise in reported cases of dog rabies, specifically in the Eastern Cape province is cause for serious concern. The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is undertaking a mass rabies vaccination rollout targeting dogs, to curb the spread of this vaccine-preventable disease. But one cannot help to wonder how we got here? Are rabies …

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Marburg in Guinea: the value of lessons from managing other haemorrhagic outbreaks

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As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in Africa amid insufficient vaccination rollout, viral haemorrhagic fever has again raised its head. This adds to public health turmoil on the continent where resources to respond to emerging and re-emerging epidemic prone zoonotic diseases remain limited. In the first week of August 2021, a Marburg virus disease outbreak …

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COVID-19: It’s time to look at the finer details of South Africa’s pandemic picture

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Almost 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of new case numbers is an integral part of the day for many South Africans. Questions like “When will the third wave end?” and “Will there be a fourth wave?” abound and opinions, even among experts, are varied. The challenges in interpreting COVID-19 case and hospitalisation …

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SARS-CoV-2 Variant of interest, MU (21H / B.1.621)

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently (30 August 2021) classified the PANGO lineage B.1.621 (nextclade assignment: 21H) as a variant of interest (VOI) and assigned it the Greek name “Mu”. This variant was first detected in Colombia in January 2021 (Laiton-Donato, 2021, medRxiV).  It has since spread across North America, South America and Europe, …

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South African health experts have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2: what’s known so far

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As a team of South African researchers we have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. A lineage represents a genetically distinct virus population with a common ancestor. This virus may be designated as a variant in future, based on significantly altered properties, but first we need to understand it better. Our …

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COVID-19 Vaccination: no time like the present, right?

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It is a well-known fact that COVID-19 vaccines provide the best protection against developing severe disease and death. However, in order for the vaccine to work optimally, the timing thereof is crucial. And although some believe there is no time like the present, there are certain factors to consider, especially for those who have recently …

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Vaccination of pregnant and breastfeeding women (August update)

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The Vaccine Ministerial Advisory Committee (VMAC) continues to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and lactation for all vaccines included in, or considered for inclusion, in the national vaccine rollout. Although the risk is small, pregnant and postnatal women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease compared to their non-pregnant …

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