A key part of the regulatory approval process – an application for a genetically modified organisms (GMO) permit - for Johnson and Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine got under way on Friday, becoming the first confirmed vaccine to undergo this process.
Meanwhile, the health department has refused to clarify the status of a similar application for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which is expected to arrive within days from the Serum Institute of India (SII).
News24 previously reported that the GMO permit application for the vaccine from the SII had not yet been filed as of 15 January, which cast doubt on Health Minister Zweli Mkhize's timeline for the arrival and distribution of the country's first Covid-19 vaccine jabs.
