coronavirus vaccine
Global Covid cases top 211 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has surpassed 211 million, with the world still struggling to contain the pandemic fueled by new variants.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 211,307, 313 and 4,422,280 respectively as of Sunday morning, as per the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
On the other hand, as many as 4,898,315, 248 vaccine doses have been administered across the world.
Read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 120 more deaths, lowest in two months
The US has logged 37, 667, 889 cases and 628,276 fatalities to date, the highest death toll in the world, according to the university.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, after the United States and India.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 32,393,286 on Saturday as 34,457 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, 375 deaths due to the pandemic since Friday morning took the total death toll to 433,964.
Read: Bangladesh's Covid cases, fatalities down for 3rd day
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 120 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours till Saturday morning, the lowest in about two months amid concern over the unlocking of the country from restrictions imposed to check the spread of the virus.
The country last saw 119 Coronavirus related deaths on June 27 and the upward curve of the fatalities reached its peak on August 5 and 10 with 264 deaths.
Besides, 3,991 more people came out positive with the virus after testing 23,882 samples during the last 24 hours, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read:Take actions against Cumilla councilor for pushing Covid jabs: Probe
The fresh number pushed the country’s total fatalities to 25,143 while the cases reached 1,457,194.
The country is currently seeing around 170 deaths and 6,800 cases on a seven day average.
Meanwhile, the government managed to vaccinate 6,395,466 with two doses, while another 16,386,203 people have received the first dose to date, said DGHS.
Bangladesh to receive over 6.34 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan Aug 28
Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Naoki Ito has said they have planned to deliver another 634,920 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine on August 28 and fulfill their commitment of over 3 million doses to Bangladesh.
On Saturday, Bangladesh received the fourth batch of vaccine - 781,440 doses of AstraZeneca – which was part of 3 million doses that the Japanese government will provide to Bangladesh through the COVAX Facility.
Read: Bangladesh gets 7,81,440 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan
Bangladesh received the first consignment of 245,200 doses, the second consignment of 781,320 doses and the third consignment of 616,780 doses which respectively arrived on July 24, July 31 and August 3, totaling 2,424,700 doses so far.
“This is purely for the sake of the Bangladeshi people. We hope this vaccine support will contribute to the Bangladesh government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Read: Bangladesh to get 781,440 AstraZeneca doses from Japan Saturday
Japan hopes that fair, equitable and comprehensive access to safe and effective vaccines will be ensured in Bangladesh.
“I would like to reiterate that Japan will stand by Bangladesh in the fight against COVID-19 and will work together to contain COVID-19 as soon as possible,” said the Ambassador.
Read: Over 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses received from Japan
Bangladesh expressed heartfelt appreciation to the generous support from Japan noting that Japan is the best long-standing friend.
Bangladesh wants to effectively utilize the vaccines from Japan and make best efforts for the quick and extensive rollout of the vaccines for the people of Bangladesh.
Global Covid cases near 210 million
The global Covid-19 caseload is fast nearing 210 million as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 209,934,849 and 4,402,002 respectively, as of Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,824,375,876 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, as per the university data.
Read: Over 4.4 million Covid cases reported worldwide in one week
More than 4.4 million Covid cases and 66,000 deaths were reported worldwide in the past week as Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
The number of new infections in seven days surpassed last week's number by 2%, while the mortality rate was roughly flat, the UN agency added.
The US has logged 37,293,969 cases and 625,166 deaths to date, according to the JHU data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
The country has recorded 20,494,212 cases with 572,641 fatalities so far, according to the health ministry.
The third worst-hit country, India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,322,258 on Thursday, as 36,401 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, as per the health ministry's data.
Read:'India likely to have Covid shot for children by September'
Besides, as many as 530 deaths were reported due to the pandemic since Monday morning, taking the total death toll to 433,049.
India is likely to have its indigenous Covid-19 vaccine for children by September, Director of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)'s National Institute of Virology (Pune) Priya Abraham said.
Abraham's remarks came amid the ongoing phase II and III trials of Covaxin for the 2-18 age groups.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 159 more coronavirus-related deaths and 6,566 fresh infections in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, in a decreasing trend in both fatalities and cases even though concerns remained over the virulent Delta variant of the virus.
The country has been seeing fatalities below 200 for the last seven days, a slight improvement from the July 25-August 13 period when daily deaths were recorded over 200.
Read: What we know about Covid-19 booster shots
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 24,874 and the cases to 1,447, 210, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
The new cases were detected after testing 37,226 samples, which lowered the case positivity rate to 17.64%, still much higher than that of the WHO recommendation of bringing it below 5%.
Meanwhile, the case fatality rate remained static at 1.72%.
'India likely to have Covid shot for children by September'
India is likely to have its indigenous Covid-19 vaccine for children by September, Director of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)'s National Institute of Virology (Pune) Priya Abraham said.
Abraham's remarks come amid the ongoing phase II and III trials of Covaxin for the 2-18 age group.
"Hopefully, the results (of the trials) are going to be available very soon. The results will be presented to the regulators. So, by September or just after it, we may have Covid-19 vaccines for children," Abraham told India Science, an OTT channel of the science and technology department.
Read: Bangladesh- India flight operation to resume Aug 20: FM
ICMR and Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech co-developed Covaxin, India's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine.
"Apart from Covaxin, Zydus Cadila's vaccine trial is also going on. This can also be applied to children and will be made available. Studies on booster doses have been going on overseas, and at least seven different vaccines have been tried for it," Abraham added.
"Now, the World Health Organisation has put a stop to it till more countries catch up with vaccination. This is because there is an alarming vaccine gap between high-income and low-income countries. But, in future, recommendations for boosters will come," he said.
Read: India hands over 31 ambulences, other medical equipment to Bangladesh
The vaccination programme against Covid-19 started in India on January 16 for people above 18 years. With more than seven months into the drive, so far only 9% of the country's adult population has been fully vaccinated, the figures compiled by Our World in Data showed.
The Indian government aims to vaccinate the entire population above 18 years of age by the end of this year.
India needs to administer 10 million doses a day to achieve its aim of inoculating the adult population by December, experts say.
What we know about Covid-19 booster shots
US health officials may soon recommend Covid-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans.
A look at what we know about boosters and how they could help fight the coronavirus:
Why might we need boosters?
It is common for protection from vaccines to decrease over time. A tetanus booster, for example, is recommended every 10 years.
Researchers and health officials have been monitoring the real-world performance of the Covid-19 vaccines to see how long protection lasts among vaccinated people. The vaccines authorised in the US continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death.
Read: US okays Covid booster dose for those with weak immune systems
But laboratory blood tests have suggested that antibodies – one of the immune system's layers of protection – can wane over time. That does not mean protection disappears, but it could mean protection is not as strong or that it could take longer for the body to fight back against an infection.
The delta variant has complicated the question of when to give boosters because it is so much more contagious and much of the data gathered about vaccine performance is from before the delta variant was widely circulating. Delta is taking off at the same time that vaccine immunity might also be waning for the first people vaccinated.
France and Germany plan to offer boosters to some people in the fall. The European Medicines Agency said it too is reviewing data to see if booster shots are needed.
Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention
When would they be given?
It depends on when you got your initial shots. One possibility is that health officials will recommend people get a booster roughly eight months after getting their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Officials are continuing to collect information about the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was authorised for use in the US in late February, to determine when to recommend boosters.
Who would get them?
The first people vaccinated in the US would likely be first in line for boosters too. That means health care workers, nursing home residents and other older Americans, who were the first to be vaccinated once the shots were authorised last December.
Read: US to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months
Booster? third shot? What's the difference?
Transplant recipients and other people with weakened immune systems may not have gotten enough protection from vaccines, to begin with. They can now receive a third dose at least 28 days after their second shot as part of their initial series of shots needed for them to be fully vaccinated.
For those with normal immune systems, boosters are given much later after full vaccination – not to establish protection, but to rev it up again.
What questions remain?
Still unknown is whether people should get the same type of shot they got when first vaccinated. And the nation's top health advisers will be looking for evidence about the safety of boosters and how well they protect against infection and severe disease.
Read Liquid Medical Oxygen and Covid-19 Treatment: Things we need to know
Global access to vaccines is also important to stem the pandemic and prevent the emergence of new variants. Booster shots could crimp already tight global vaccine supplies.
What about the unvaccinated?
Dr Melanie Swift, who has been leading the vaccination programme at Mayo Clinic, says getting more shots into people who have not yet been vaccinated at all is "our best tool, not only to prevent hospitalisation and mortality from the delta variant but to stop transmission." Every infection, she says, "gives the virus more chances to mutate into who knows what the next variant could be."
"People who took the vaccine the first time are likely to line up and get their booster. But it is not going to achieve our goals overall if all their unvaccinated neighbours are not vaccinated," Swift says.
Read: Why might COVID-19 vaccine boosters be necessary?
What do we know about booster shots for COVID-19?
U.S. health officials may soon recommend COVID-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans. A look at what we know about boosters and how they could help fight the coronavirus:
WHY MIGHT WE NEED BOOSTERS?
It’s common for protection from vaccines to decrease over time. A tetanus booster, for example, is recommended every 10 years.
Read: US okays Covid booster dose for those with weak immune systems
Researchers and health officials have been monitoring the real-world performance of the COVID-19 vaccines to see how long protection lasts among vaccinated people. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death.
But laboratory blood tests have suggested that antibodies — one of the immune system’s layers of protection — can wane over time. That doesn’t mean protection disappears, but it could mean protection is not as strong or that it could take longer for the body to fight back against an infection.
The delta variant has complicated the question of when to give boosters because it is so much more contagious and much of the data gathered about vaccine performance is from before the delta variant was widely circulating. Delta is taking off at the same time that vaccine immunity might also be waning for the first people vaccinated.
Israel is offering a booster to people over 50 who were vaccinated more than five months ago. France and Germany plan to offer boosters to some people in the fall. The European Medicines Agency said it too is reviewing data to see if booster shots are needed.
WHEN WOULD THEY BE GIVEN?
It depends on when you got your initial shots. One possibility is that health officials will recommend people get a booster roughly eight months after getting their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Officials are continuing to collect information about the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was authorized for use in the U.S. in late February, to determine when to recommend boosters.
Read:US to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months
WHO WOULD GET THEM?
The first people vaccinated in the United States would likely be first in line for boosters too. That means health care workers, nursing home residents and other older Americans, who were the first to be vaccinated once the shots were authorized last December.
BOOSTER? THIRD SHOT? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Transplant recipients and other people with weakened immune systems may not have gotten enough protection from vaccines to begin with. They can now receive a third dose at least 28 days after their second shot as part of their initial series of shots needed for them to be fully vaccinated. For those with normal immune systems, boosters are given much later after full vaccination — not to establish protection, but to rev it up again.
WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN?
Still unknown is whether people should get the same type of shot they got when first vaccinated. And the nation’s top health advisers will be looking for evidence about the safety of boosters and how well they protect against infection and severe disease.
Read:Why might COVID-19 vaccine boosters be necessary?
Global access to vaccines is also important to stem the pandemic and prevent the emergence of new variants. Booster shots could crimp already tight global vaccine supplies.
WHAT ABOUT THE UNVACCINATED?
Dr. Melanie Swift, who has been leading the vaccination program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says getting more shots into people who haven’t yet been vaccinated at all is “our best tool, not only to prevent hospitalization and mortality from the delta variant, but to stop transmission.” Every infection, she says, “gives the virus more chances to mutate into who knows what the next variant could be.”
“People who took the vaccine the first time are likely to line up and get their booster,” Swift says. “But it’s not going to achieve our goals overall if all their unvaccinated neighbors are not vaccinated.”
Bangladesh imposes restrictions on passenger flights from 11 countries
Bangladesh's civil aviation regulator has imposed restrictions on international passenger flights from 11 countries as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries across the world.
Malaysia, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Libya and Mongolia are the 11 countries under Group- A, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has said.
However, Bangladeshi citizens from these countries who have completed a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before 14 days of the travel date can enter Bangladesh.
Read:Two Biman chartered flights take off with stuck students, expat workers
Upon arrival, they will have to undergo a mandatory 14-days home quarantine.
However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected on arrival, they will be sent to government-authorised hospitals for further checkup and depending on the intensity of the symptoms, will be sent for isolation at government-nominated facilities at the passenger's own expense.
Besides, passengers from these 11 countries who are not vaccinated or have not completed full doses of the vaccine, will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh.
Read: Domestic flights to resume from Aug 6 amid relaxed lockdown
However, Bangladeshi expatriates residing in these 11 countries and Bangladeshi nationals who visited there during the last 15 days, are allowed to come to Bangladesh provided that they have the special approval or authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
According to the CAAB circular, Bangladeshi seafarers or marine engineers who have signed off from ship from this group of 11 within the previous 15 days of travel to Bangladesh, can return provided they possess proper evidence about their profession and signing-off.
Upon arrival in the country, in both the cases above, they will have to complete a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense.
Read: Domestic flights to carry intl passengers to port of departure during lockdown
All incoming and outgoing passengers, except children below 10 years, must possess an RT-PCR negative certificate. The PCR test should be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time.
International passenger flights will continue as per their approved time slots under the summer-2021 schedule.
However, air bubble flights will remain suspended until further notice.
Global Covid cases near 208 million
The global Covid-19 caseload is now nearing the grim milestone of 208 million, as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stood at 207,824,763 and 4,370,906 respectively, as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,704,997,138 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, as per the university data.
Read:Children account for 15% of new Covid cases in US
The US has logged 36,886,005 cases and 622,306 deaths to date, according to the JHU data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
Children made up 15% of the reported weekly Covid-19 cases in the US for the week ending August 5, according to a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Amid a surge of infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant in the country, almost 94,000 Covid-19 cases among children were reported the past week, "a continuing substantial increase", said the AAP in the report updated on August 9.
Brazil registered 434 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 569,492, the health ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said that the total caseload rose to 20,378,570 after 14,471 new cases were detected.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States, and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,225,513 on Monday as some 32,937 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Read:Thailand to start trials of homegrown Covid-19 vaccine in September
Besides, as many as 417 deaths were reported due to the pandemic since Sunday morning, taking the total death toll to 431,642.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh added 174 fatalities to its national tally on Monday, as Covid cases and deaths continue to fall for the fourth straight day.
The country is now reporting 9,315 new cases on an average each day – 64% of the peak. The highest daily average was reported on August 3.
Bangladesh recorded 6,959 new cases Monday after testing 33,015 samples, down from 11,463 logged a week earlier on August 9.
In 24 hours till Monday morning, the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive stood at 21.08%.
However, the recovery rate rose to 91.31%, and the case fatality increased to 1.71% compared to the same period.
The country has been experiencing a surge of Covid-related caseload and deaths since June 2021.
Vaccine co-production
Bangladesh, China and Incepta Pharmaceutical Ltd on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the co-production of Sinopharm vaccine in Bangladesh.
Read:China doesn’t attach any political strings to vaccine cooperation: Envoy
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Abdul Muktadir, Chairman of Incepta Vaccine Limited signed the MoU from Dhaka while Li Can, President of China Sinopharm International Corporation and Zhu Jingjin, Vice President, China National Biotec Group Company Limited signed it from Beijing.
China has provided 2.1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine as a gift to Bangladesh, 3.4 million doses under the COVAX facility, and 8 million doses as part of a large-scale commercial purchase agreement.
UAE flights: Indian Embassy working with authorities to address vaccination concerns, says envoy
The Indian Embassy is working closely with the UAE authorities to address the concerns of stranded Indian residents, a top envoy said.
Amid uncertainty over whether stranded residents having taken vaccines in India can return, Pavan Kapoor, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, assured that proactive steps have been taken to address such concerns, reports Khaleej Times.
Read:India's Modi to unveil $1.35 trillion infrastructure plan
“The return of residents began about 10 days ago. Although it is currently for those who were vaccinated in the UAE, we are working closely with the UAE authorities to expand this. And we hope that other categories will also start coming back soon,” he said in his address made during the 75th Indian Independence Day.
While Covid-19 vaccination certificate is not a must to fly into Dubai, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways requires a fully vaccinated UAE resident to furnish proof of having received both doses of the vaccine in the UAE no less than 14 days before travel.
“Dubai authorities have already extended those visas of people that expired during the time they were stuck in India. We are hoping the Abu Dhabi authorities will follow suit soon. We are hoping more residents will be able to come back to their second home,” he said during a ceremony held at the embassy auditorium.
Read:Over 2,000 evaluated as landslide blocks India river
Kapoor also added that the mission is trying to support and empower people who lost their jobs amid the pandemic and had to return home.
“We are trying to see how we can upskill and reskill our people and see that they can come back with other kinds of opportunities,” the ambassador added.
Back of the line: Charity only goes so far in world vaccines
An international system to share coronavirus vaccines was supposed to guarantee that low and middle-income countries could get doses without being last in line and at the mercy of unreliable donations.
It hasn’t worked out that way. In late June alone, the initiative known as COVAX sent some 530,000 doses to Britain – more than double the amount sent that month to the entire continent of Africa.
Under COVAX, countries were supposed to give money so vaccines could be set aside, both as donations to poor countries and as an insurance policy for richer ones to buy doses if theirs fell through. Some rich countries, including those in the European Union, calculated that they had more than enough doses available through bilateral deals and ceded their allocated COVAX doses to poorer countries.
But others, including Britain, tapped into the meager supply of COVAX doses themselves, despite being among the countries that had reserved most of the world’s available vaccines. In the meantime, billions of people in poor countries have yet to receive a single dose.
The result is that poorer countries have landed in exactly the predicament COVAX was supposed to avoid: dependent on the whims and politics of rich countries for donations, just as they have been so often in the past. And in many cases, rich countries don’t want to donate in significant amounts before they finish vaccinating all their citizens who could possibly want a dose, a process that is still playing out.
“If we had tried to withhold vaccines from parts of the world, could we have made it any worse than it is today?” asked Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor at the World Health Organization, during a public session on vaccine equity.
Other wealthy nations that recently received paid doses through COVAX include Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, all of which have relatively high immunization rates and other means of acquiring vaccines. Qatar has promised to donate 1.4 million doses of vaccines and already shipped out more than the 74,000 doses it received from COVAX.
The U.S. never got any doses through COVAX, although Canada, Australia and New Zealand did. Canada got so much criticism for taking COVAX shipments that it said it would not request additional ones.
In the meantime, Venezuela has yet to receive any of its doses allocated by COVAX. Haiti has received less than half of what it was allocated, Syria about a 10th. In some cases, officials say, doses weren’t sent because countries didn’t have a plan to distribute them.
Also read: The link between the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy
British officials confirmed the U.K. received about 539,000 vaccine doses in late June and that it has options to buy another 27 million shots through COVAX.
“The government is a strong champion of COVAX,” the U.K. said, describing the initiative as a mechanism for all countries to obtain vaccines, not just those in need of donations. It declined to explain why it chose to receive those doses despite private deals that have reserved eight injections for every U.K. resident.
Brook Baker, a Northeastern University law professor who specializes in access to medicines, said it was unconscionable that rich countries would dip into COVAX vaccine supplies when more than 90 developing countries had virtually no access. COVAX’s biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India, stopped sharing vaccines in April to deal with a surge of cases on the subcontinent.
Although the number of vaccines being bought by rich countries like Britain through COVAX is relatively small, the extremely limited global supply means those purchases result in fewer shots for poor countries. So far, the initiative has delivered less than 10% of the doses it promised.
COVAX is run by the World Health Organization, the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a group launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop outbreaks. The program is now trying to regain credibility by getting rich countries to distribute their donated vaccines through its own system, Baker said. But even this effort is not entirely successful because some countries are making their own deals to curry favorable publicity and political clout.
“Rich countries are trying to garner geopolitical benefits from bilateral dose-sharing,” Baker noted.
So far, with the exception of China, donations are coming in tiny fractions of what was pledged, an Associated Press tally of vaccines promised and delivered has found.
Dr. Christian Happi, an infectious diseases expert at Nigeria’s Redeemer’s University, said donations from rich countries are both insufficient and unreliable, especially as they have not only taken most of the world’s supplies but are moving on to vaccinate children and considering administering booster shots.
Happi called on Africa, where 1.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, to increase its own vaccine manufacturing rather than rely on COVAX.
“We cannot just wait for them to come up with a solution,” he said.
COVAX is well aware of the problem. During its last board meeting in late June, health officials conceded they had failed to achieve equitable distribution. But they still decided against blocking donor countries from buying up supplies themselves.
At a subsequent meeting with partners, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley said COVAX intended to honor the agreements it had made with rich countries but would ask them in the future to “adjust” their allocated doses to request fewer vaccines, according to a meeting participant who spoke about the confidential call on condition of anonymity.
Among the reasons Berkley cited for Gavi’s reluctance to break or renegotiate contracts signed with rich countries was the potential risk to its balance sheet. In the last year, Britain alone has given more than $860 million to COVAX.
Meeting notes from June show that Gavi revised COVAX’s initial plan to split vaccines evenly between rich and poor countries and proposed that poor countries would receive about 75% of COVID-19 doses in the future. Without rich countries’ involvement in COVAX, Gavi said “it would be difficult to secure deals with some manufacturers.”
Also read: Moderna says vaccine 93% effective but seeks 3rd-shot in fall
In response to an AP request for comment, Gavi said the initiative is aiming to deliver more than 2 billion doses by the beginning of 2022 and described COVAX as “an unprecedented global effort.”
“The vast majority of the COVAX supply will go to low- and middle-income countries,” Gavi said in an email about its latest supply forecast. For many countries, it said, “COVAX is the main, if not the only source of COVID-19 vaccine supply.”
Spain’s donation to four countries in Latin America – its first via COVAX – reflects how even rich countries with a lot of vaccines are donating a minimum. Spain, which has injected 57 million doses into its own residents, shipped 654,000 the first week in August. The delivery totals 3% of the 22.5 million doses Spain has promised, eventually, to COVAX.
Gavi said COVAX now has enough money and pledged donations to one day cover 30% of the population of the world’s poorest countries. But it has made big promises before.
In January, COVAX said it had “secured volumes” totaling 640 million doses to deliver by July 2021, all of them under signed agreements, not donations. But by last month, COVAX had only shipped 210 million doses, 40% of which were donated.
With COVAX sidelined, vaccine donations have become something of a political contest. China has already exported 770 million doses and last week announced its own goal of sending 2 billion doses to the rest of the world by the end of the year — exactly the same amount as COVAX’s initial plan.
That’s far ahead of the rest of the world, according to the AP tally of doses. Britain has delivered just 4.7 million, far short of the 30 million pledged, and the European Union has given 7.1 million and and another 55 million through COVAX contracts.
“If the donors are not stepping forward, the people who continue to die are our people,” Strive Masiyiwa, the African Union special envoy on COVID-19 vaccine procurement, said.
The United States has so far delivered 111 million doses, less than half of what was promised. Several U.S. lawmakers from both parties argued Wednesday that the government should seize the opportunity for diplomacy by more aggressively seeking credit for the doses it ships overseas.
“I think we should make vaccines available throughout the Middle East, but I also think we should have the American flag on every vial,” said Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat from California, at a hearing on the state of the pandemic in the Middle East.
Even the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, recently decried Europe’s lagging in donations in geopolitical terms as a loss to China. U.S. President Joe Biden, in announcing the U.S. donations that have finally come through, similarly described the doses as a way to counter “Russia and China influencing the world with vaccines.” The White House said the United States has donated more than 110 million vaccine doses, some via COVAX.
In addition to its planned vaccine exports, China announced plans to donate $100 million to COVAX to buy more doses for developing countries.
“The key to strengthening vaccine cooperation and building the Great Wall of immunization is to ensure equitable access,” said Wang Xiaolong of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaking Friday after China hosted an online forum on fair vaccine distribution.
The COVAX board has agreed to go back to its basic assumptions about vaccinating the world before the end of the year. High on its list: “An updated definition of fair and equitable access.”