COVAX global vaccine distribution program lowers forecast

The COVAX planetary vaccine distribution program lowers its forecast by a quarter. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) urges rich countries to contribute more.

The COVAX alliance estimated last June to be able to offer poorer countries nearly 1.9 billion doses by the end of 2021. The program led by the UN will only be able to deliver 1.4 billion vaccines, according to the latest estimates.

The program has so far delivered 240 million doses to 139 countries.

COVAX blames delays in vaccine production from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson to justify the drop. However, several companies have pledged to deliver more doses, and China has also pledged to provide 20 million more of its Sinopharm vaccines.

So far, nearly 46% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 30% are adequately protected. However, only 20% of people in lower-income countries received a first dose of the vaccine, compared to 80% in rich countries.

The publication of these forecasts was followed by a press conference by the World Health Organization. Its managing director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, again called for a moratorium on the injection of a third dose. “I will not remain silent when the companies and countries that control vaccine production think the poor of this world should be satisfied with leftovers,” he said.

According to him, the gap between the vaccination rates of the countries is “unacceptable”.

“We don’t want any more promises. We want vaccines, ”he told world leaders.

Canada delivered its very first vaccines through COVAX distribution last week. Nigeria (801,600 doses), Kenya (459,300) and Niger (100,800) received Canada’s first vials labeled AstraZeneca, out of the 40 million doses promised.

The COVAX organization hopes that 40% of the world’s population will be vaccinated by the end of the year, and 70% by mid-2022.

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