South Africa receives more Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses from US amid ongoing surge
August 28, 2021, 12:31 pm

South Africa-

The AP reported, South Africa will this weekend receive 2.2 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses donated by the United States to add to the 5.6 million doses it received from the U.S. in July.

The new doses come as the country continues to battle an extended resurgence of COVID-19 infections and is racing to vaccinate 67% of its 60 million people by February next year.

They are expected to be delivered on Saturday, South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said during a weekly COVID-19 briefing.

South Africa has already purchased 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country has also bought 31 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which are being delivered in large shipments from overseas and from a manufacturing plant in South Africa.

South Africa has fully vaccinated more than 5.4 million people with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and has administered more than 11 million vaccine doses, Phaahla said Friday.

South Africa’s vaccination drive picked up pace last week after it increased eligibility to all aged over 18 years, ensuring that all adults can now get the shots.

“The response of our young people has been overwhelming. More than 560,000 ... registered for vaccination on the first day, and we vaccinated 81,000 of them on the first day,” said Phaahla.

“The weekend numbers have gone much higher and our average daily vaccinations have gone above 240,000, and this number was sustained,” said Phaahla.

Over the past two days, South Africa has given jabs to more than 260,000 people each day, bringing it closer to its target of 300,000 daily vaccinations, Phaahla said.

South Africa’s current surge driven by the delta variant has been more prolonged than the sharp spikes and falls seen in the first two waves, he said. It is urgent for the country to vaccinate as many people as possible before the next surge, which could be in November, Phaahla added.

In the last 24 hours, South Africa has recorded more than 12,700 new infections, including 357 deaths. Overall, nearly 81,000 people have died, according to official figures. But the actual number of deaths from COVID-19 is estimated to be nearly three times that amount, based on statistics showing the country’s average death rates.

South Africa has by far the largest reported burden of COVID-19 in Africa. Its 2.7 million confirmed cases are about 35% of the 7.6 million reported by all Africa’s 54 countries, even though South Africa’s population accounts for just 4.6% of the continent’s 1.3 billion people.

Health experts say South Africa’s relatively good statistical reporting and its volume of international travelers are likely contributing factors.

Source: AP

Khamenei accuses Joe Biden of making the same demands as Trump on nuclear issue Get Ready for the New World Order

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”