As the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines arrived at Livingstone Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday afternoon just after 2pm, a cheer rose from the nurses who had finished their training as vaccinators.

The first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine given in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Nelson Mandela Bay has borne the brunt of the second wave of coronavirus infections since November, and the metro has been pinpointed by bioinformatician Professor Tulio De Oliveira as the site where a mutation of the virus, named N501Y.V2, was first detected. While confirmed infections in the metro have dwindled to only 147, the total number of active cases was around 6,000 at one stage.

The temperature-controlled box housing the vaccines. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

The virus raged for many weeks, claiming 2,866 lives in the metro (confirmed cases). Many of them were health workers. Many worked at Livingstone Hospital.

But on Wednesday as a jubilant Chief Director of Clinical Support Services, Sidwell Matshotyana, completed his briefing of the vaccinators, news came that vaccines had arrived.

On hearing the news, the team threw their hands up in the air in joyful celebration as the precious temperature-controlled box was carried into the staff vaccination centre.

The abandoned EMS college, which has since moved to another site, had been converted into a staff vaccination centre, with a registration room, a recovery room and separate private rooms for vaccinations to be given.

The walls of each room are covered with posters debunking popular myths about the vaccine.

The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced last week that South Africa will take part in an implementation study of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to further monitor it as it is being rolled out in the field. 

He made it clear that the vaccine had already been found to be safe, with proven efficacy in preventing mild and moderate disease and a high efficacy in preventing hospitalisation and death due to severe Covid-19. The vaccine trials were run in South Africa at a time when the N501Y.V2 virus was the dominant strain.

The decision was taken to roll-out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after the AstraZeneca vaccine, of which the government had already procured a million doses, were found not to be effective in preventing mild and moderate disease against the strain currently dominant in South Africa. Trial data from the US that tested the vaccine’s efficacy to prevent severe Covid-19 and death are expected soon.

During the debate on Tuesday of the State of the Nation Address, Mkhize thanked the principal investigator in the Johnson & Johnson trial and the president of the Medical Research Council (MRC), Professor Glenda Gray.

“The immediate roll-out of Phase 1 vaccination with Johnson & Johnson… has been made possible by the fact that the 300,000 doses of the now proven and efficacious Johnson & Johnson vaccine were already tested and approved by Sahpra [the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority] for use under study conditions. 

“It was the quick thinking of the leadership at the MRC that brought us this solution when we were faced with this issue. This was smart thinking, which is worthy of celebration, and I must thank the team at the Medical Research Council led by Professor Glenda Gray; the officials at the National Department of Health led by the director-general, Dr Sandile Buthelezi; and Johnson & Johnson for essentially working a miracle to ensure that our plans are not derailed,” he said.

District Health Manager Darlene de Vos celebrates after receiving the vaccine. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Nelson Mandela Bay district health manager Darlene de Vos was the first in the metro to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

She emerged from the vaccination room with two thumbs in the air.

“I am so happy that we have reached this milestone. I am looking forward to seeing the healthcare teams receive their vaccines and to more vaccines arriving.

“I said I will take it first to set an example. Our workers indicated that they wanted managers to go first to set an example. I want to prove that it is safe. I am so happy to be part of the study,” she said.

Sister Miranda Ludick, the operations manager for the surgical ward at Livingstone Hospital, received the second dose of the vaccine at Livingstone Hospital. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

De Vos was followed by Miranda Ludick, the operations manager for the surgical ward at Livingstone Hospital.

“I wanted to set an example for those who work with me. I am very relieved that there is something that can help us. It will really bring down the stress levels in the hospital. It is good to know that we can now protect ourselves, our families and our patients,” she said.

In total, 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have arrived in the Eastern Cape, with 4,000 at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha and 2,000 at Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth.

The head of the Department of Medicine at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Professor Thozama Dubula, said registration was slow at first, but they are now starting to see enthusiasm for the vaccination process. 

Professor Chukwuma Ekpebegh, an endocrinologist at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, is the first to receive the vaccination.
(Photo: Hoseya Jubase)

Professor Chukwuma Ekpebegh, an endocrinologist at the hospital, was the first to receive the vaccine there.

“I am very happy. It was painless. There is no itching or swelling. I feel completely normal,” he said.

Dr Mzulungile Nodikida, the acting director of clinical governance at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, receives his vaccination from Ncediswa Mtyingizane. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)

The hospital’s acting director of clinical governance, Dr Mzulungile Nodikida, was second in line to be vaccinated. 

“I feel great. I have confidence in this… that it will work. I am happy to be one of the first to receive it. I wasn’t scared. The needle is painful. I am feeling good. No itching or pain,” he said.

Ncediswa Mtyingizane, who administered the first vaccines, said she now has a lot of hope. 

“I am looking forward to administering the vaccine [to my colleagues] and I am also happy to be vaccinated. There was a fear that my patient may react but I am happy that nothing happened,” she said.

Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said vaccination in the province will start in “full force” on Thursday 18 February. DM/MC

Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c), it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address Covid-19. We are, therefore, disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information we should know about, please email [email protected]

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