WHO hopes to have 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in first-quarter 2021 through COVAX

The World Health Organization is hoping to have at least half a billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 through the COVAX facility. This was stated by WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan at the Geneva news conference on December 4, 2020. 

Till now, almost 189 countries have joined the COVAX facility, which is a joint initiative of WHO, GAVI alliance and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.  

US refuses to join COVAX

Despite having one of the most diverse vaccine portfolio, the United States is not a part of the COVAX initiative. The Trump administration had made it clear in September 2020 that it will not work with an international cooperative effort to manufacture and equally distribute the COVID-19 Vaccine, as it does not want to be bound by the constraints put by the World Health Organisation. 

What is the main action plan of the COVAX initiative?

•The initial plan of the COVAX  initiative is to vaccinate at least 20 percent of the high-risk population in the participating countries including healthcare workers and frontline workers and people above the age of 65 years.  

•WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan elaborated by saying that the goal is to get at least 2 billion doses by the end of 2021 which will be enough to vaccinate 20 percent of the populations of countries that are part of COVAX. As per WHO, this would be enough to bring to an end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing mortality rate and the impact on health systems.

•Out of the 2 billion doses, about half a million is expected to be available for distribution across countries in a fair manner in the first quarter of 2021. Swaminathan stated that some countries can start expecting vaccine doses by the end of the first quarter of 2021. She added saying that few countries may start earlier as well. 

•The majority of the vaccine tranches are expected to start moving out to the respective countries in the second quarter of 2021. 

Background

The COVAX vaccine facility aims to help buy and manufacture and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccine shots across the world, to ensure that the safest vaccine reaches each corner of the world.

The facility is working alongside governments to ensure the effective COVID vaccine is available worldwide, ensuring all participating nations the best chance of gaining fast access to doses of the most effective COVID-19 vaccine.