The Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital will be the first two facilities in KwaZulu-Natal to roll out a study of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine.

The study, named the Sisonke Open-label Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, will assess the real-world effectiveness among healthcare workers, who have already been prioritised for vaccination by government’s Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy.

Speaking during the launch of the provincial Covid-19 vaccination programme at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital on Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said both hospitals were chosen by the South African Medical Research Council as they have the largest number of employees in the province, as well as the highest number of employees affected by Covid-19.

Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital will receive 5 760 vaccine doses while the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital will receive 5 040 doses.

Hospital staff will be vaccinated first, followed by staff in catchment facilities.

The Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital has 10 vaccination sites, while the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital has 15 sites, with adequate registered vaccinators already at both sites.

“The vaccination will take place over 10 working days and will take place as per work flow of priority. The Electronic Vaccination Data System is functional at both sites and work flow has been prepared,” Zikalala said.