By: Kelvin Chiringa
The sudden suspension of the Russian-made Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine by the health ministry has caused panic as the ministry is now of the view that it increases the risk of HIV transmission in men.
So far, 108 people received component 1, and only seven received component 2 of the vaccine, causing serious concern among recipients who received both shots.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) raised red flags recently, saying they were concerned that the Sputnik V vaccine in South Africa, a high HIV prevalence and incidence setting, could increase the risk of being vaccinated by males acquiring HIV.
By then, Namibia had received 15 000 doses of component 1 and 15 000 doses of component 2 from Serbia.
However, at the back of the panic, the minister has, in the meantime, called for calm.
“They should not worry because the vaccine itself will not do them any harm. The suspension is because a component of the vaccine makes it easier for somebody if exposed to HIV to contract the virus. The vaccine itself does not cause HIV.
“If only when a person comes into contact with an infected person without using a condom, then the chance is higher for the person to contract HIV. He could still have contracted it without the vaccine, but the vaccine increases the chance of getting infected as opposed to a person who has not taken it,” he said.
He has urged men that have taken the shot to be extra-careful in their sexual activity, saying they should use condoms.
But the ministry will not be quick to destroy its batches of the vaccine as the evidence of side effects provided so far are not conclusive.
The ministry is still waiting for further information, and if it is to disprove the current data, Shangula maintains that the vaccination will resume.
But for how long will men that have received the jab have to be on high alert in their sexual activity?
“The vaccine is just like when you take a tablet. It does not stay in the body the whole time. It undergoes metabolism, and it disappears from the body completely. But it is the immune system that remains. Now, this is where we are saying that one needs to be careful when engaging in sexual activity,” he said.
