Vaccine alliance says 75 countries keen to join 'COVAX' access facility

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Vaccine alliance says 75 countries keen to join 'COVAX' access facility

By Kate Kelland

 

FILE PHOTO: A small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine" sticker is held near a medical syringe in front of displayed "Coronavirus COVID-19" words in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic//File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 75 countries have expressed interest in joining the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccines, the GAVI vaccines alliance said on Wednesday.

 

The 75 countries, which would finance the vaccines from public budgets, will partner with up to 90 poorer countries supported through voluntary donations to GAVI's COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), the alliance said in a statement.

 

"COVAX is the only truly global solution to the COVID-19 pandemic," Seth Berkley, GAVI's chief executive, said in a statement.

 

"For the vast majority of countries, whether they can afford to pay for their own doses or require assistance, it means receiving a guaranteed share of doses and avoiding being pushed to the back of the queue, as we saw during the H1N1 pandemic a decade ago."

 

Together, this group of up to 165 countries represents more than 60% of the world's population and the interest is a vote of confidence in efforts to secure global access to COVID-19 vaccines, GAVI's statement added.

 

COVAX is co-led by GAVI, the World Health Organization and the CEPI Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Its aim is to deliver 2 billion doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.

 

The shots will be delivered equally to participating countries proportional to their populations, GAVI said, and deployed initially for healthcare workers.

 

GAVI said last month it had raised $567 million from international donors towards an initial goal of $2 billion to buy vaccines via the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment.

 

More than 100 potential COVID-19 vaccines are in development, with at least 20 in human clinical trials, as scientists seek ways to protect people against infection with the pandemic disease.

 

AstraZeneca, which is developing a potential COVID-19 shot known as AZD1222, has agreed to supply 300 million doses to COVAX if the vaccine proves effective and is licensed.

 

Berkley said that even for countries already pursuing bilateral deals with drugmakers, the COVAX scheme could help reduce their risk if one or more vaccine candidates fail.

 

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, Editing by John Stonestreet and Catherine Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-16

 

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[simon43]

GAVI said last month it had raised $567 million from international donors towards an initial goal of $2 billion to buy vaccines via the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment.

 

Why seek this money from international donors?  Send the bill to the CCP!

[pegman]

Can't see Trumpland signing onto this. Goes against their motto of "Profits over people".

[CLS]

A good thing to equally distribute the vaccine shots to the participating countries. Just hoping the greedy and corrupt ones use them for their population and don’t sell them off to the highest bidder.

[innosiem]

which countries are not involved?

might need a one way ticket soon

[Paiman]

It's all about the money.

 

COVAX reminds me of HOAX.

[Paul Henry]

Guess Trump land will not be in the countries listed as Donald has pulled out of WHO. Trump will look for some way he can personally capitalize on any US developed vaccine. Buy all available vaccine and only give it to his mates and make every one else pay for it. Once the vaccine is available will he still claim Covid 19. will magically go away (don't think so) and its all a hoax. 

[Eric Loh]

Anything connected with global, Trump not interested. He is a one man global wrecking machine. 

[IAMHERE]

11 hours ago, pegman said:

Can't see Trumpland signing onto this. Goes against their motto of "Profits over people".

Why should America pay the bill for these other countries medical care?  They all hate the USA anyways.

[pegman]

13 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Why should America pay the bill for these other countries medical care?  They all hate the USA anyways.

Well you just answered why that is. 

[Krataiboy]

You couldn't make it up.

 

The so-called pandemic is heading for the exit doors so fast it'll likely be gone long before we get a safe, effective vaccine.

 

That's bad news for the pharmaceutical companies and their paid political minions pushing to make COVID shots mandatory across the planet.

 

But it's good news for those of us worried about the dangers of any vaccine rushed to market without proper safeguards - and particularly by corporate giants indemnified against damages claims.

 

Big Pharma have a hell of a cheek, expecting taxpayers from bankrupt economies like of the UK and 74 other countries to subsidise their redundant snake oil. Tell them, "No way, Jose!"