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[FILE IMAGE]: An injection.
The health department says South Africa will soon manufacture its first vaccine from scratch in over 50 years. Plans are for the vaccine to be for cholera prevention.
Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi accompanied by Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Nomalungelo Gina, will lead the official launch, on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation says it is concerned about the recent surge in typhoid cases in Hammanskraal, which had only recently recovered from a cholera outbreak. pic.twitter.com/7k4jh6VMdf
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 4, 2025
Health department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says this will begin with phase 1 involving vaccine assessment, to determine if it can prevent cholera infections.
[WATCH] SA Medical Association is concerned about potential exposure to waterborne diseases such as typhoid and cholera in the aftermath of the devastating Eastern Cape floods. SAMA chairperson Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa says national government must show leadership and must not work in… pic.twitter.com/m6gc60knjR
— SABC News (@SABCNews) June 13, 2025
Mohale says the country occasionally experiences sporadic outbreaks triggered by imported cases from neighbouring countries.
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“This milestone represents a significant step in advancing Africa’s vaccine self-reliance and strengthening South Africa’s capacity to respond to infectious diseases through local innovation and manufacturing,” he says.
Mohale says this initiative will launch Phase 1 of the vaccine assessment to determine whether or not the vaccine can prevent cholera infection.
“The clinical trials, coordinated by the South African Medical Research Council, also highlight South Africa’s ability to conduct such trials for multiple types of products,” he adds.
