SOUTH AFRICA BEGINS CLINICAL TRIALS FOR FIRST HOMEGROWN VACCINE

Researchers and scientists in South Africa have launched clinical trials for its first domestically manufactured vaccine over 5 decades, an oral cholera vaccine developed by Cape Town-based pharmaceutical firm
The trials, which are currently testing the vaccine’s safety in adults, will be compare with existing cholera vaccines.
The South African government has hailed the development as a milestone for the continent, highlighting the country’s growing capacity to produce vaccines independently
South Africa’s health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi said, if successful, the vaccine could be ready for use across Africa by 2028, making South Africa the second country l to produce an oral cholera vaccine globally l. The move comes as cholera remains a persistent threat in the region.