WHO has asked pharmaceutical companies to share 50% of their COVID-19 vaccines with poor countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday called on manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to put available for Covax international system half of your production dose this year.

While the richest countries quickly accumulated vaccines, Covax, which provides doses to poor countries, you want to ensure a fair distribution between those who have the capacity to pay and those who do not, but it fails to operate fully.

And what when India, from which Covax is supplied in doses, blocked exports of manufactured vaccines by the Serum Institute to fight the epidemic on its territory.

Since June 4, Covax had supplied more than 80 million doses to 129 countries and territories. Less than expected.

Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not just those with the fewest vaccines

In front of this situation, WHO has again asked rich countries that have already vaccinated part of their population to share the vaccines. But the organization also urged pharmaceutical companies on Monday to show solidarity.

“I ask all manufacturers to give Covax the right of first refusal [o sea, que se le propongan prioritariamente las dosis] on new vaccine volumes or commit to making 50% of their volumes available to Covax this year, ”said the WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press conference.

“Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not just for those who have fewer vaccines, ”he said.

Covax was created by the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the WHO and the Coalition for epidemic preparedness innovations (CEPI) to fight against inequalities in access to vaccination against covid.

Call to the G7

Despite pledges of coronavirus vaccine donations for Covax, the device has very little for June and July.

In May, during the World Health Assembly, Tedros called on the international community that, by September, at least 10% of the population of each country is vaccinated against COVID-19 and 30% will be by the end of the year.

I ask the G7 to commit not only to sharing the doses, but also to sharing them in June and July

“To achieve these goals, we need 250 million more doses by September, and 100 million doses in June and July alone. “, recalled the head of WHO on Monday.

“This weekend, the leaders of the G7 countries will meet for their annual summit. These seven nations have the power to achieve these goals. I ask the G7 to commit not only to sharing the doses, but also to sharing them in June and July ”, declared.

In addition, he pointed out that low-income countries should not depend solely on vaccine imports from rich countries, and reiterated its call to invest in local vaccine production.

He expressed the hope that “Some production sites are identified and, at least, they are approaching the vaccine production phase by the end of the year.”

(With information from AFP)

KEEP READING: