World

COVAX sending vaccines only to nations with fewest

BRUSSELS —
A worldwide scheme designed to make sure honest entry to COVID-19 vaccines will this month for the primary time distribute pictures solely to nations with the bottom ranges of protection, the World Well being Group mentioned.

Co-led by the WHO, COVAX has since January largely allotted doses proportionally amongst its 140-plus beneficiary states based on inhabitants dimension.

This made some richer nations that had already secured vaccines by separate offers with pharmaceutical companies eligible for COVAX doses alongside nations with no provides in any respect.

With some nations administering booster pictures whereas others are nonetheless giving first jabs to probably the most weak, the WHO has now tweaked the foundations.

“For the October provide we designed a unique methodology, solely overlaying members with low sources of provide,” Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant Director Basic for Entry to Vaccines, mentioned in a recording of a convention presentation final week posted on the WHO’s web site.

The change comes 15 months after the launch of the COVAX program and as WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus seeks renomination.

Slides from Simao’s presentation confirmed that, of the greater than 90 poorer nations served by COVAX, about half had immunized lower than 20% of their populations and 26 lower than 10%. Many rich nations reached 70% protection throughout the northern hemisphere summer time.

About 75 million doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Sinopharm vaccines will likely be distributed in October to 49 nations thought of among the many least lined, the slides confirmed, with out indicating the recipient nations.

Alfred Driwale, Program Supervisor on the Uganda Nationwide Expanded Program on Immunizations, advised Reuters that the brand new methodology was welcome however ought to have been adopted initially of this system.

The Pan American Well being Group’s (PAHO) assistant director, Jarbas Barbosa, referred to as the change excellent news.

Nevertheless, subsequent rounds of allocations this yr are anticipated to be carried out beneath totally different standards, the slides additionally confirmed.

COVAX has up to now overseen the allotment of over 500 million pictures, of which about 300 million have been shipped to recipient nations.

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