South Africa's medical regulator, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, announced on Monday its approval of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to fight the pandemic.

The authority said the Sinopharm vaccine would be administered to people over 18 in two doses, two to four weeks apart. The regulator said they received data from the manufacturer between July and December.

"The registration of these vaccines is a vast stride in vaccine registration as SAHPRA plays its role in the fight against COVID-19. SAHPRA will continue to play its part in ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of all health products, including all vaccines to ensure the South African public is protected at all times," said SAHPRA CEO Boitumelo Semete Makokotlela.

She explained the Sinopharm vaccine, like other vaccines, has mild adverse effects which disappear a few days after vaccination. The effects include pain, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and nausea. South Africa has been administering the Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer vaccines to fight the pandemic. The department of health will announce how the Sinopharm will be rolled out at a later date.