Kubayi denied allegations by the EFF that the regulator’s Dr Helen Rees was conflicted because her husband was allegedly linked to Aspen.
“We need to protect institutions in this country and not [allow] for individuals to be intimidated, because we will battle later to find professionals who are willing to serve. When we fight, we personalise matters. Worse, it was women who were attacked and literally threatened,” said Kubayi.
On vaccines, Kubayi told MPs that the Delta variant, though it has not completely replaced the earlier Beta variant, was continuing to increase in dominance.
Health department deputy director-general Dr Anban Pillay said that while the Delta variant was sampled in India in October 2020, it’s now been detected in 85 countries, several of them in Africa. The variant was now the dominant strain driving the third wave of infections as it is more transmissible than the previous circulating variants in SA.
“Higher levels of transmission mean more people will be infected and more infections mean higher hospital admissions,” he said.
MPs were not pleased with Kubayi and Pillay. Among them was committee chair Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo who asked the department if it was reconsidering procuring the AstraZeneca vaccine, given the latest developments.
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