Scientist Health Sunday said a UN-backed program to ship coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has delivered 1 billion doses so far, but the achievement is a “reminder of the work left” after stockpiling and warehousing in rich countries.
1.1 million transmissions of COVID-19 The United Nations’ World Health Organization said vaccine doses for Rwanda on Saturday included the one billion dose available through the COVAX programme.
The World Health Organization has long criticized the uneven distribution of vaccines and called on manufacturers and other countries to prioritize COVAX. As of Thursday, 36 out of 194 countries have vaccinated less than 10% of their population, while 88 countries have vaccinated less than 40%, she said.
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The World Health Organization said in a statement that the program has delivered shipments to 144 countries so far, “but the work that accomplished this feat is only a reminder of the work that remains.”
“COVAX’s ambition has been jeopardized by stockpiling in rich countries and a catastrophic outbreak that has closed borders and supplies,” she added. “Also, not sharing licenses, technology, and know-how by pharmaceutical companies means not using production capacity.”
In late December, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged everyone to make a “New Year’s resolution” to get behind a drive to vaccinate 70% of countries’ population by early July.
In a newspaper interview published on Sunday, Germany’s new international development minister said she intends to use this year’s G7 presidency to ensure COVAX has the resources it needs by 2022.
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“Unfortunately, very few countries are still involved in funding the global vaccination campaign,” Svenja Schulz told Funke newspaper. “Besides Sweden, Norway, Canada and the United States, we are the ones who give the most. Other industrialized countries have the task of catching up.”
Germany said it donated 103 million doses to poor countries last year and plans to donate another 75 million by 2022.
Schulz has indicated that he wants to expand aid to developing countries to manufacture the vaccines themselves, with the company collaborating to produce the vaccines under license a preferred goal.
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When asked whether it made sense to waive COVID-19 patents, which the previous German government opposed, she replied, “I doubt that developing countries would get vaccines more easily if we gave up patents.” She said the issue is only a small part of the manufacturing process.
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