COVID crash course: A walkthrough of everything you need to know about viruses, variants...
COVID variants are new versions of the virus that are smarter at surviving. But before we can understand what these changed forms mean for vaccines, we first need to go back to the basics. We take you through the evolution of the virus and what this means for your body’s defences.
A ban on boosters: Why richer countries should wait for others to catch up...
Rich countries are already beginning to look at possibly rolling out booster shots of COVID vaccines. Causing the World Health Organisation to call for a ban on these programmes until September in order to give poorer countries a chance to catch up in their search for sufficient doses.
How do vaccines work when you have HIV or cancer? Three questions answered
Why should you wait for two weeks after a flu jab before getting vaccinated for COVID, and is it safe to get a shot if you have a weak immune system? We break it down.
Getting COVID after being vaccinated can happen — but it’s rare. Here’s what we...
Vaccines help to reduce the spread of COVID, but they are not without shortcomings. Here’s what they can and can’t do.
Why we can’t afford to leave migrants out of our COVID-19 vaccine roll-out
Excluding refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented people in public health programmes is likely to have far-reaching implications for global COVID vaccination roll-outs.
The 30-day rule: Why you have to wait for a vaccine if you’ve recently...
Scientists know that people who have had COVID still benefit from getting vaccinated with at least one shot of vaccine. But can you get vaccinated while you have COVID?
Curbing COVID in children: Why it’s safe to reopen schools
Children have not been the drivers of COVID-19 in South Africa, but data monitored since the beginning of the pandemic shows that the likelihood of infection, disease or death among them generally increases with age.
How to end tobacco use for good: What SA’s COVID tobacco ban has taught...
Local tobacco companies’ market share quadrupled during the country’s temporary sales ban in 2020, overtaking Big Tobacco’s pre-ban monopoly on South Africa’s tobacco industry.
Half of KZN patients have no chronic medication. Here’s how looting affected SA’s COVID...
Vaccines were stolen and many urban vaccine sites had to close as Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal erupted into chaos this past week. The biggest loss however is not vaccines, but the chronic medicines that were looted leaving those with HIV, cancer and diabetes without their medication.
Biovac will “fill and finish” Pfizer’s COVID jab. Here’s how tech transfer works
Biovac will become the first company in Africa to produce Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID jab — but they won't produce the vaccine from scratch. The SA manufacturer will import the drug substance (the active ingredient that makes the vaccine work) from Europe and "fill and finish" the shot in South Africa.
Rise of the variants: What you need to know about the Delta variant in...
South Africa’s lockdown regulations are tightening in order to better curb the spread of COVID-19. This comes amid concerns that a new variant, called Delta, detected in some provinces, could drive a surge of infections during the country’s third wave.
The EVDS will schedule your appointments 6 weeks apart. Here’s why
South Africa doubled the dosing interval for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. We take a look at what other countries have done and the evidence for the move.
J&J will deliver 2-million new jabs to SA – within 2 weeks, says...
Johnson & Johnson plans to replace our two million unusable jabs by July. The vaccines are unsuitable for use and must be destroyed, while the country’s vaccination programme lags behind schedule.
Three for three: Understanding the 3 COVID variants circulating during SA’s third wave
Which variants have been detected in South Africa and how do they differ? Each form of the virus has slight changes and therefore behaves slightly differently and could impact what the epidemic looks like. We break it down.
How do we know if South Africa is in a third wave — and...
A team in the country’s COVID ministerial advisory committee (MAC) uses a formula to keep tabs on the rise of infections. Here’s how it works.
No teachers will get J&J jabs this week — the US first has to...
SA will receive 480 000 additional COVID vaccines from Johnson & Johnson — but only if they’re found to be safe. Meanwhile, we’ll only hear in the week of June 7 if we can release our first two batches of 31 million Johnson & Johnson jabs.