Solidarity launches urgent legal action against SAHPRA over monopolisation of vaccine
13 April 2021
Solidarity was shocked to learn that SAHPRA’s registration of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine contains provisions stipulating that only the government may purchase the vaccine. Solidarity has subsequently taken urgent legal steps.
“This is a cynical attempt by the government to be the sole purchaser of vaccines. After initial attempts were halted by the courts, the government is now trying to maintain its unlawful position as sole purchaser through the backdoor,” says Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI).
“In short, the government is holding South Africa to ransom and this for its own ideological purposes. Whoever buys or sells the vaccine has nothing to do with its effectiveness or its quality. SAHPRA is setting irrational conditions for the registration of the vaccine which have little to do with medicine but much to do with politics,” Mulder continues.
Solidarity has no other option but to approach the court on an urgent basis to have these conditions declared irrational.