Poor countries will have access to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine starting early next year, the World health Organization (WHO) and partners said today.
The Global Access to Vaccines for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVAX), a joint initiative of WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the Consortium for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), has confirmed access to nearly 2 billion doses of the vaccine candidate.
The United States and the United Kingdom have already begun administering a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNtech, a German biotech company, and another vaccine developed by Moderna is expected to be approved by countries soon.
Neither of these vaccines is among the nearly 2 billion doses mentioned above; however, WHO says it is in discussions with both companies.
The arrangement announced today will enable all participating economies to have access to the vaccine in the first half of 2021,” said a statement issued by WHO, GAVI and CEPI.
The statement said that the vaccine for health and social care workers will be delivered “in the first half of 2021 to all participating economies that request it in the meantime.
Vaccine distribution operations are subject to regulatory approval and country readiness.
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