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Both the United States’s and South Africa’s medicines regulators have faced legal challenges with regards to the information used to review and approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. But the rules that bind the two government bodies are different — as is the amount of information they can share.

Do you know which COVID vaccine you’re going to pick as your booster dose? Here’s a handy guide to the latest research on the mix and match approach.

Just under a third of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer are set to expire by July. After that, any unused doses will have to be destroyed. Until then the health department is trying to increase uptake of the doses and donate spare shots.

South Africa is unlikely to buy a new oral COVID-19 pill called molnupiravir, despite the drug having been approved for use in the country. That’s because deciding to spend money on a medication rests on more than just whether it works.

How long are the gaps between the end of one COVID wave and the start of another? In South Africa, it’s been about three months consistently, says epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim.

The health department won’t buy any more COVID vaccines this year. That includes Sinopharm, Sinovac and jabs for children.

Children between the ages of 5 and 11 are given smaller doses of the Pfizer vaccine than adults. That means the government will have to buy new vials and new needles for the vaccine programme to vaccinate this group which the health department doesn’t have the money to do.

South Africa’s medicines regulator recently approved a branded version of molnupiravir, a new COVID treatment. Cheaper generic versions are on the cards. But affordability does not necessarily mean equal access.

Fully vaccinated adults in South Africa will be able to choose whether to get the Johnson & Johnson or the Pfizer vaccine when they queue for a booster dose.

South Africa’s medical regulator is currently reviewing applications for an oral COVID treatment called molnupiravir. The tablet can reduce people’s chances of falling very ill or dying from the disease. Here’s how it works.

A million learners in South Africa did not return to school by May 2021. This is more than double the numbers seen pre-pandemic. The short-term disruptions to schools caused by COVID-19 could lead to permanent drop-outs unless students are kept engaged.

Two drugs to treat COVID-19 have recently become available. These aren’t substitutes for a vaccine, but they could help at-risk people from developing severe disease. Here’s what you need to know about the new pills on offer.

Wearing a mask, washing your hands, good ventilation and keeping your distance all help to lower your chances of getting infected by the virus that causes COVID-19. This is because they reduce how much virus you could be exposed to as you go about your day. As scientists think the virus will be with us for years to come, these measures, along with vaccination, will be crucial to help us keep safe as we go back to the office, schools, and everywhere in between.

One of the scientific breakthroughs that came with the COVID-19 pandemic was the introduction of new vaccine technology, like those used in the Pfizer jabs. A new vaccine plant in Cape Town will now make similar vaccines on local soil, but making these specialised shots often require some hands-on help.

In this podcast, Bhekisisa editor Mia Malan gets to the bottom of the most common questions asked about South Africa’s fourth wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections driven by the Omicron variant. Her guest is Waasila Jassat of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

The Omicron variant spreads rapidly causing surges in infections. But it doesn’t seem to be causing more severe cases. Still, there’s a need for caution as higher case numbers means more hospitalisations. Here’s what we know so far.