COVID-19 Program delivers one billion vaccine doses to poorer countries. On Sunday, WHO stated that the milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains.” A shipment of over one million coronavirus vaccine doses to Rwanda included the billionth dose supplied by the COVAX program.Â
COVAX Helps Close The Vaccine Inequity Gap
WHO always called out the unequal distribution of vaccines and called for manufacturers and other countries to prioritize COVAX. Unfortunately, only 36 out of its 194 member countries had vaccinated less than 10% of their population. Furthermore, only 88 had vaccinated less than 40%.
“COVAX’s ambition was compromised by hoarding/stockpiling in rich countries, catastrophic outbreaks leading to borders and supply being locked,” it added. “And a lack of sharing of licenses, technology and know-how by pharmaceutical companies meant manufacturing capacity went unused.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged everyone to get behind a campaign to vaccinate 70% of the countries’ populations by the beginning of July. In addition, Germany donated 103 million doses to poorer countries last year and plans to donate another 75 million in 2022. Schulze wants to expand help for developing countries to produce vaccines themselves.
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