South
Africa says downpayments to J&J, Pfizer not refundable
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[April 14, 2021]
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -The South African
government's downpayments to Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer for
COVID-19 vaccines are not refundable under any circumstances, its health
minister said on Wednesday, describing the condition as onerous.
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Zweli Mkhize made the comments a day after the government suspended
the rollout of J&J's vaccine, citing a recommendation by U.S.
federal health agencies to pause its use because of rare cases of
blood clots.
The suspension is the latest setback for South Africa's efforts to
immunise its population.
It ditched plans to kick-start vaccinations with AstraZeneca's
vaccine in February because a small trial showed the shot offered
minimal protection against mild to moderate illness from the
dominant local coronavirus variant.

Mkhize told a virtual meeting with a parliamentary committee that
Africa's most industrialised economy had to navigate "difficult and
sometimes unreasonable" demands from vaccine manufacturers during
negotiations.
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"As government we have found ourselves in a precarious position of
having to choose between saving our citizens' lives and risking
putting the country's assets into private companies' hands," he
said. South Africa is paying $10 per dose for the J&J and Pfizer
vaccines, he added.
(Reporting by Wendell Roelf and Alexander Winning; editing by
Tanisha Heiberg and Jason Neely)
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