How does Covax, the initiative to deliver vaccines against covid-19 in Latin America, work?
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(CNN) -
The World Health Organization (WHO) remains in "close contact" with the Indian government to restart deliveries of vaccines from the Serum Institute of India (SII), a WHO spokesperson told CNN on Monday. , when asked if IBS is currently imposing a ban on the export of AstraZeneca vaccines.
IBS is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer and India typically produces more than 60% of all vaccines sold globally.
Its vast manufacturing capacity is the reason the country became a major player in the Covax program, the global vaccine exchange initiative that offers free or discounted doses to low-income countries.
Under the initial agreement announced last year, the SII would manufacture up to 200 million doses for 92 countries.
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However, in the face of the devastating second wave of coronavirus in India, the government and IBS have shifted their focus from providing vaccines to the Covax program to prioritizing their own citizens.
Covax has notified participating countries and economies that IBS dose deliveries were delayed in March and April due to increased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in India.
This means that the originally expected deliveries of 90 million doses of IBS in March and April to 60 countries will not take place, according to the WHO.
The WHO said it remains "in the hope that the ongoing dialogue between Covax and the government of India will help us access some of these doses as soon as possible."
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"In the situation where IBS is unable to compensate / catch up with reduced availability during May, this will result in a shortfall of Covax vaccine deliveries originally projected through May, as communicated to countries," said the spokesman.
According to the WHO, the Covax program is currently evaluating those countries that may be affected by IBS delays to support them whenever possible to ensure that the second dose is administered within the recommended time frame.
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CovaxWorld Health OrganizationCoronavirus Vaccine