Other African countries will receive J&J vaccinations from South Africa.

The government announced Friday that South Africa will contribute just over 2 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to other African countries to help bolster the continent’s COVID-19 immunization program.

According to a release, the dosages will be manufactured at the Aspen Pharmacare manufacturing facility in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, and supplied to several African countries over the next year.

In a statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated, “This donation represents South Africa’s solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the continent, with whom we are united in combating an unparalleled threat to public health and economic growth.”

“The only way we can halt COVID-19 transmission and defend our continent’s economies and societies is to immunize a critical mass of our population with safe and effective vaccinations,” Ramaphosa stated.

Ramaphosa’s office stated in a separate statement Friday that he is “making good progress in his recovery from COVID-19 while maintaining therapy for moderate symptoms.” Ramaphosa, 69, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 12 and has been sequestered at his official house in Cape Town ever since, receiving treatment from the South African military health department.

According to the statement, Ramaphosa is “in good spirits and comfortable with his rehabilitation.”

South Africa’s donation will be added to the African Union’s African Vaccination Acquisition Trust’s more than 100 million vaccine doses. The African immunization organization has also purchased 500 million doses of the vaccine, which will be disseminated across the continent.

Africa continues to be the least immunized continent in the planet. According to the World Health Organization, Africa may not accomplish its goal of vaccinating 70% of its 1.3 billion people until the second half of 2024.

According to WHO, just 20 of Africa’s 54 countries have fully vaccinated at least 10% of their populations against COVID-19, with ten African countries having less than 2% fully vaccinated.

South Africa is now fighting a coronavirus resurgence fueled by the omicron strain. In the most recent 24-hour reporting cycle, South Africa documented 24,785 new illnesses and 36 deaths. Over the last two weeks, the country’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has grown dramatically, from 8.59 new cases per 100,000 people on December 2 to 39.11 new cases per 100,000 people on December 16.

In a press conference on Friday, Health Minister Joe Phaahla revealed that the omicron variety is responsible for more than 78 percent of new cases.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have increased slightly, but not at rates commensurate to the significant surge in new cases, according to health specialists. According to health specialists in South Africa, omicron has so far resulted in more mild instances than the last wave, which was driven by the delta strain. Experts warned Friday that the population’s exposure to the coronavirus, which was found to be 72 percent in blood testing, could be contributing to the less severe omicron symptoms.

According to data analyzed by South African scientists, the Pfizer vaccine provides less protection against omicron infection and less, but still enough, protection against hospitalization.

Despite an increase in COVID-19 cases, the government has not announced any changes to the restrictions.

In contrast to many other African countries, South Africa now has ample vaccine supply, estimated at 19 million doses, but vaccination rates have dropped substantially. According to government estimates, only 12,500 shots were administered on Thursday, down from an average of roughly 120,000 per day in November.

According to official figures, more than 15 million South Africans are completely vaccinated, accounting for 38 percent of the adult population.

“We are really concerned about the sharp drop in vaccination uptake, particularly in the last seven to ten days,” Health Minister Joe Phaahla said in a press conference on Friday.

Before the holidays, he urged South Africans to obtain their vaccine jabs. Phaahla said, “Jab before jive!”