UPDATE: Statement to Member States regarding thromboembolic events after vaccination with Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (Johnson & Johnson)

Context The COVID-19 vaccine Ad26.COV2.S, developed by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), is a human adenovirus based vaccine which is administered as a single dose regimen to prevent COVID-19. The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization by the United States (U.S). Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  It is authorized in the European […]

Statement on donation and distribution of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through AVATT

21 APRIL 2021 The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), seeks to clarify the management of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines received through a donation to the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), the entity responsible for leading the continent’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy. In mid-March, AVATT shipped 925,000 of doses Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines […]

Statement of the Chairperson of the Africa CDC Governing Board on the Renewal of the Mandate of the Africa CDC Inaugural Director, Dr. John N. Nkengasong

The Governing Board of Africa CDC held an Extraordinary meeting on February 20th, 2021 and deliberated on the renewal of the second four-year mandate of the Africa CDC’s Director, Dr. John N. Nkengasong.The Board congratulated Dr. John N. Nkengasong for the tremendous work accomplished in his first term to build a respectable public health institution […]

Statement to African Union Member States on the deployment of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine to the continent and concerns about adverse event reports coming from Europe

Context On 15 February 2021, the World Health Organization listed the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for both emergency use and distribution via the COVAX facility. The African Regulatory Taskforce subsequently endorsed the WHO emergency use listing for this vaccine and the first shipments to Africa were initiated from the COVAX facility, with Ghana receiving the first […]