The global vaccine platform, COVAX, aims to distribute 237 million doses of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine to 142 countries by the end of May 2021, its managing partners told the media on Tuesday. Eleven million doses will be delivered this week alone, with Angola, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria getting their vaccines on […] Continue reading ->
Leaders of the 27 European Union member states are moving closer to a consensus on an EU-wide system of vaccine certificates for travel between countries in the bloc. Within three months a system will be introduced, EU officials announced on Thursday, the first day of the two-day virtual summit of the European Council. Several EU […] Continue reading ->
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, will be publicly vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca SARS-CoV2 vaccine on 2 March, signifying the start of the West African country’s vaccine rollout. On Wednesday, Ghana became the first country in the world to receive vaccines via the global vaccine access platform, COVAX, according to Health Policy Watch. The Ivory Coast is expected […] Continue reading ->
The largest peer reviewed study to date of some 1.193 million Israelis – half of whom received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine – confirms the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 as well as serious cases and deaths – even after the first dose is administered. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, […] Continue reading ->
The appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Nigerian Finance Minister, World Bank development economist and its former Vice President, and black African woman, as head of the WTO, has been heralded as ‘a big deal’, an inspiration, and ‘a sign of the many strides (Africa) has made in gender parity’. While all this is true, […] Continue reading ->
Under cloudy skies, Ghana’s first precious doses of Covid-19 vaccines arrived Wednesday morning at Accra’s Kotoka International Airport. They are also the first supplies to be distributed by the WHO co-sponsored COVAX facility on the African continent. The arrival of some 600,000 vaccines marks a milestone in months of effort by WHO, UNICEF, GAVI and […] Continue reading ->
Vaccinating all of Africa’s health workers would need half a percent of all the doses that the G-7 countries have purchased, according to Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans. On Tuesday, Global Citizen launched a five-point ‘Recover Better Together’ plan for the world, aimed at getting millions of citizens behind ending COVID-19 for all, ending the […] Continue reading ->
Threats from the European Commission to sue AstraZeneca over the delay in deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines hold no weight, according to the EU’s contract with the pharma company in which the right to sue was waived. Following the drugmaker’s announcement in late January of a 60% shortfall in vaccine deliveries for the first quarter after […] Continue reading ->
After donating over 6 million Covid vaccines to more than 13 countries, the Indian government suggested the creation of a regional pandemic platform for preparedness and medical emergencies with its 10 neighbouring countries. At a meeting with health officials, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creating “a special visa scheme” for doctors and nurses to […] Continue reading ->
The United States is donating an additional US$2 billion to the COVAX facility over the next two years to facilitate the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, while the pharma company Novavax will provide a total of 1.1 billion doses of its vaccine to COVAX – a gesture that could increase […] Continue reading ->