South Africa is one of the countries where trials are under way to find an efficacious vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. South Africa’s participation in these trials is crucial. These vaccines are produced in the West and it’s important that they prove to be safe and effective in African countries. Participation in the trials also means that should a vaccine prove to work, the country may have easier access to it.
In today’s episode of Pasha, Professor Linda-Gail Bekker and Professor Keertan Dheda at the University of Cape Town discuss why vaccine trials are important and why South Africa needs to be involved.