No, South Africans did not take ‘the wrong vaccine’! — Government rubbishes ‘fake news’

The South African government has slammed fake social media reports that South Africans had taken “the wrong vaccine”.

The post, which has been spread across several social media networks in the form of a news article, claims that health minister Dr Joe Phaahla had dropped the “bombshell” recently in light of the irregular acquisition of the Heberon interferon Alpha-2B Covid-19 drug from Cuba. The drug was not administered to South Africans.

The SA government shared a screenshot of the post with a warning that it was “fake news”.

“The information is false. Be alert and always be vigilant to spot fake news,” it added.

The return of the interferon to Cuba followed instructions and recommendations by a ministerial task team and the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

“The SANDF has complied and sent the medicine back to Cuba. We are writing to Sahpra and the auditor-general as the interested parties that we felt we should be re-engaged after we complied,” SANDF chief Gen Rudzani Maphwanya told parliament last month.