COVAX expects to deliver 2 billion doses of vaccines to nations in 2021

The COVAX vaccine facility expects to deliver COVID-19 doses to all participating economies that have requested it in the first half of the year despite reduced supply availability as well as increased demand for the jabs in India, according to the World Health Organisation.

The COVAX facility, which is a global initiative to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide, has now delivered life-saving vaccines to over 100 economies since making its first international delivery to Ghana on February 24, 2021.

So far, more than 38 million doses across six continents, supplied by three manufacturers, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and the Serum Institute of India (SII) have been delivered. Of the over 100 economies reached, 61 are among the 92 lower-income economies receiving vaccines funded through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).

COVAX aims to supply vaccines to all participating economies that have requested vaccines, in the first half of 2021, despite some delays in planned deliveries for March and April, a news release from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.

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, the release said.

According to its latest supply forecast, COVAX expects to deliver at least two billion doses of vaccines in 2021. In order to reach this goal, the COVAX facility will continue to diversify its portfolio further, and will announce new agreements with vaccine manufacturers in due course, the WHO release added.