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COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available to African countries by the end of 2021.
This is due to the cost, transportation, and storage requirements of the vaccine.
Three vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik, and Moderna, have already reported good preliminary data from phase three trials, with one suggesting that 94% of those over 65 could be protected against Covid-19.
In an interview on BBC Focus on Africa, William John Moss, Executive Director of the International Center for Vaccine Access at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explained that, apart from vaccines that require cold temperatures for storage, it is Low-income countries in Africa are likely to have a challenge buying vaccines.
He further explained that low-income African countries could acquire the vaccines through an initiative called the Covax facility, which would require sharing some costs.
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“What will happen is that there are few countries on the continent that are able to buy the vaccine themselves through bilateral relationships with vaccine manufacturers. So most countries on the continent will get the vaccine through something called a Covax facility. This is an initiative led by Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, and others to provide vaccines to low-income countries.
“What they are planning is to have two billion doses by the end of 2021 and that would be at a relatively low cost to countries through the Covax Starter Commitment. They say they will buy vaccines for low-income countries and that there will be some cost sharing, ”he explained.
He added that “what they are talking about is $ 1.60, $ 2, (USD) a dose. Most of these vaccines require two doses per person. They are both very challenging. I mean we can do it, obviously, for childhood vaccinations when the kids come back for their routine shots.
“But we have no precedent for doing this for adults. And it also requires that not only people return. You need a very good data management system. You need a tracking system. So, to be honest with you, I don’t see the vaccines reaching the countries of the continent until 2021, if not 2022 ”.
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