DTMT NETWORK
The World Health Organization (WHO) has informed that over 100 economies have received Covid vaccines under Covid- 19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) facility since making its first international delivery to Ghana on February 24, 2021.

Of the over 100 economies reached, 61 are among the 92 lower-income economies receiving vaccines funded through the Gavi Covax Advance Market Commitment.

The WHO has stated that over 38 million doses of vaccines from manufacturers AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Serum Institute of India (SII) have now been delivered, including 61 economies eligible for vaccines through the Gavi Covax Advance Market Commitment.

“Despite reduced supply availability in March and April – the result of vaccine manufacturers scaling and optimizing their production processes in the early phase of the rollout, as well as increased demand for Covid-19 vaccines in India – COVAX expects to deliver doses to all participating economies that have requested vaccines in the first half of the year,” said the WHO.

Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said that in under four months since the very first mass vaccination outside a clinical setting anywhere in the world, it is tremendously gratifying that the roll-out of Covax doses has already reached one hundred countries

“Covax may be on track to deliver to all participating economies in the first half of the year yet we still face a daunting challenge as we seek to end the acute stage of the pandemic," he added

"We will only be safe when everybody is safe and our efforts to rapidly accelerate the volume of doses depend on the continued support of governments and vaccine manufacturers. As we continue with the largest and most rapid global vaccine rollout in history, this is no time for complacency,” he explained.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO DG, said, “Covax has given the world the best way to ensure the fastest, most equitable rollout of safe and effective vaccines to all at-risk people in every country on the planet."

“If we are going to realize this great opportunity, countries, producers and the international system must come together to prioritize vaccine supply through Covax. Our collective future, literally, depends on it,” added Dr Tedros.