COVAX scales down vaccine shipping targets to developing countries

Geneva, Sep 8 (EFE).- The COVAX mechanism, through which the World Health Organization and other institutions ship Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries, will not meet its initial target of exporting 2 billion doses, settling with 1.4 billion, according to officials.

“It’s bad news for everyone,” said Seth Berkley, CEO of the Gavi Alliance, another significant contributor to COVAX.

He said that factors such as the ban on vaccine exports in India have reduced the expectations of the humanitarian distribution programme, which has so far delivered some 243 million doses of the vaccine to 190 countries.

The facility’s projections depended on a pronounced increase in the supply of vaccines during the second half of the year.

COVAX expects to distribute 1.1 billion doses in the coming three months, a new less ambitious projection explained by the hoarding of doses by wealthy nations and delays in authorizations for certain vaccines, like the American Novavax.

The vaccine distributing facility is confident it is possible to vaccinate at least 20% of the population in every country by the end of the year, covering sanitary workers and vulnerable communities. EFE

abc/lv/jt