Global COVID vaccination push shoots arm

After the World Health Organization approves AstraZeneca jab on Monday, plans to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine reaches the poorest people in the world can finally be put into delivery mode.

Covax is a globally pooled coronavirus vaccine procurement and equitable distribution effort this year, sufficient COVID for at least 20% of the most vulnerable in all countries, rich or poor- Established to secure 19 vaccines.

Its first wave of distribution, which is almost completely dependent on the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, can follow the WHO green light.

Since December, dozens of the wealthiest countries in the world have launched vaccination campaigns Coronavirus Pandemic.

Through Covax, poor countries should begin receiving their first dose at the end of this month.

How Covax works

With the goal of pooling risk and reward, Covax is inspired by previous mechanisms that promoted universal and equitable access to pneumococcal and Ebola vaccines.

We guarantee the purchase of a certain amount of COVID-19 vaccine, even before it is approved for use.

This aims to give pharmaceutical companies confidence in their investment in production and will ensure that the vaccine is available with regulatory approval.

The intent is to allow poor countries to be vaccinated, based on the fact that the pandemic will continue to be a global threat if not addressed globally.

About 198 countries and regions are participating.

For the 92 low- and middle-income countries involved, funding is funded by donations from governments and organizations.

For richer countries, purchasing a Covax bulk purchase acts like a backup insurance policy for direct transactions with vaccine producers.

Which vaccine do you have?

Covax signs $ 2 billion contract with manufacturer Vaccine dose In 2021, we secured an additional billion options.

The transactions so far are as follows.

— 1.1 billion doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures the AZ and Novavax vaccines.

— 500 million from Johnson and Johnson Janssen.

— Sanofi-$ 200 million from GSK.

— 170 million people from Arizona produced in South Korea.

— Pfizer-40 million from BioNTech.

Covax accepts signing contracts for other vaccines to expand its portfolio.

Deployment of the first wave

The distribution list, published February 3, analyzed the first 337.2 million doses of the program. The first delivery is scheduled for late February.

Approximately 145 participating countries are set to receive sufficient doses to immunize 3.3% of the population by mid-2021.

It is in the first wave of distribution as AZ and Pfizer are the only two vaccines with WHO emergency use validation.

The distribution list contains 240 million AZ doses from SII. A dose of 96 million AZ is produced in South Korea. The dose of Pfizer is 1.2 million times.

Both vaccines require two injections.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, is the most experienced in UN vaccine logistics and is preparing to transport doses of up to 850 tonnes per month.

Destination country

Countries receive doses proportional to population size, with the highest numbers in the first wave being India (97.2 million), Pakistan (17.2 million), Nigeria (16 million), Indonesia (13.7 million) and Bangladesh (1280). (10,000 people), Brazil. (10.6 million).

Wealthy self-funded countries such as South Korea (2.6 million times), Canada (1.9 million times) and New Zealand (250,000 times) are included in the list.

Tuvalu is set to receive the lowest dose at 4,800, followed by Nauru and Monaco at 7,200 respectively.

Pfizer-BioNTech doses (requires special ultra-low temperature storage) will be directed to 18 countries by the end of March, with Colombia, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and Ukraine each maximizing at 117,000 doses. ..

Covax Financing

The Covax facility was launched at the Global Vaccine Summit in June 2020.

It is co-led by WHO, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Control Innovation.

It took the first $ 2 billion last year to start the program and has secured more than $ 6 billion in promises so far.

But by 2021, we will need at least $ 2 billion or more. vaccine In addition to procurement and delivery, an additional $ 800 million for R & D earlier this year.

© 2021 AFP