Vaccines sent all over the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), which have set up a mechanism to distribute anti-Covid vaccines to underprivileged countries, plan to send the first vials in the first quarter of 2021 , they announced Friday.
This Covax mechanism (Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access; global access to the vaccine against Covid-19) "has obtained nearly two billion" of doses, also declared the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in conference of hurry.
The WHO has set a target of having 2 billion doses of vaccine available by the end of 2021.
In a statement, the WHO and Gavi said it was now possible to "schedule the first vaccine deliveries in the first quarter of 2021, the first tranche of doses - enough to protect health and social workers - being delivered during the first half of 2021 to all participating economies (in the Covax mechanism, editor's note) which have requested doses within this period ”.
Up to 20% of inhabitants vaccinated
Further dose deliveries to all participants will follow in the second half of 2021, with the goal of delivering doses for up to 20% of the population of participating countries by the end of the year, the statement said. .
"Today's announcements offer the clearest path yet to end the acute phase of the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable populations around the world," the statement said.
And additional doses to achieve higher coverage levels will be available in 2022.
Partner organizations point out that all of these vaccine shipments depend on several factors, such as regulatory approvals and country readiness.
Discussions with Pfizer and Moderna
Agreements have so far been signed with three laboratories - AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi-GSK, which have not yet been authorized by national authorities.
But the WHO said Friday it had signed an agreement with the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the vaccine candidate Janssen, which has not yet been authorized.
Morning essentials newsletter
A tour of the news to start the day
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
WHO is also in discussions with Pfizer, whose vaccine has been approved by several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
That of Moderna, with whom discussions are also underway, is in the process of being in the United States.
"The arrival of vaccines gives us to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"But we will only truly end the pandemic if we end it everywhere at the same time, which means that it is essential to immunize certain people in all countries, rather than all people in certain countries," a- he added.
READ ALSO>
Covid-19: 1.16 million doses of vaccine delivered to France before the end of the year
WHO and its partners also stress that the success of this colossal project will also depend on the funds received.
"Thanks to the generous support of sovereign donors, the private and philanthropic sectors," the Covax mechanism "has met its urgent fundraising target for 2020 of $ 2 billion", but at least an additional $ 4.6 billion will be needed in 2021, the statement said.