South Africa funded vaccine trial to include HIV-positive people

Science minister says such studies respond to “particular need” in the country

South Africa contributed funding to the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial to ensure that research was carried out on HIV-positive participants, the minister of science and higher education has said.

Blade Nzimande said that the Department of Science and Innovation contributed R4.5 million (US$330,000) to the ChAdOx1 trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine to “ensure that HIV positive persons were enrolled in the clinical trial, as this is a particular need within the South African environment”.