WHO SECURES 40M DOSES OF PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE AND 150M JABS OF ASTRAZENECA/OXFORD VACCINE AS GLOBAL INFECTIONS NEAR 100M
As the number of COVID-19 infections worldwide nears 100M, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has secured 40m and 150m of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 respectively.
Recall that on November 9 and November 20, Pfizer and AstraZeneca/Oxford both said their vaccine was 90% effective against the COVID-19 disease.
Despite the surge in COVID-19 infections following the emergence of a second wave in several countries of the world, and a new strain recently detected in the UK and South Africa, WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the Pfizer and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines could bring the pandemic under control, with vaccinations ongoing in more than 50 countries.
“We must work together as one global family to ensure the urgent and equitable rollout of vaccines,” he said.
Ghebreyesus, who said WHO has through the COVAX facility signed an agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech for up to 40 million doses of its vaccine, revealed 150 million jabs of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine would be available for distribution in the first quarter of this year.
The WHO Chief noted that COVAX is on track to deliver two billion doses of vaccines by the end of 2021.
He said; “We welcome the United States’ commitment to support the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and to join COVAX.
“Vaccines are giving us all hope of ending the pandemic and getting the global economy on the road to recovery. But we can only end the pandemic anywhere if we end it everywhere. And to do that, we need every member state, every partner and every vaccine producer on board.
“That’s why today, I’m glad to announce that COVAX has signed an agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech for up to 40 million doses of its vaccine.
“Additionally, pending WHO emergency use listing, we expect almost 150 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine to be available for distribution by COVAX in the first quarter of this year.
“Together, these announcements mean COVAX could begin delivering doses in February, provided we can finalise a supply agreement for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and emergency use listing for the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.
“COVAX is on track to deliver two billion doses by the end of this year.”
As of January 26, the WHO reports that the US is the most hit country by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 25 million cases and more than 417,000 casualties.
They are closely followed by India with over 10 million infections and more than 153,000 deaths.
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