[ad_1]
MUST HIT: More than 200 different vaccine candidates are in the running for a corona vaccine. But it is not very clear how many will actually manage to create an effective and safe vaccine. The Novavax vaccine is being tested here in Australia. Photo: Patrick Rocca / Nucleus Network / ABC
None of the three great powers will participate in the work to ensure a fair distribution of corona vaccines.
The COVAX global vaccine alliance aims to ensure fair distribution of vaccines around the world. The idea is that everyone should get vaccinated at the same time, regardless of how much money they have.
It is now clear that 156 countries have committed to cooperating:
- 64 high-income countries that can finance their own vaccine consumption, including Norway, the EU countries, Japan, Canada and Australia.
- 92 low-income countries, eligible for purchasing support.
Together, they are now ready to negotiate vaccine candidates and preorder doses, in the hope that one of the corona vaccines in development will be successful.
Seven vaccine candidates are now in the final and decisive testing phase:
– Now we will begin by signing agreements to obtain vaccines. We will continue to raise money so that low-income countries can pay for vaccines, says the head of the GAVI vaccine organization, Seth Berkley, at a news conference on Monday.
But neither the United States, China, nor Russia should participate. They are not in the list of the 156 countries that have already been published.
COVAX is led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the GAVI organization, and the CEPI vaccine coalition.
VG asked at the press conference if they were disappointed with the United States, China and Russia. And what this will mean for the project’s chances of success, when these countries do not come together.
They do not respond, but say:
– It is important for us to remain open to vaccine manufacturers, research and countries around the world, to involve them. We will continue that conversation. As you have already heard, more than 70% of the countries of the world join. We’ll see what the final number will be, but it can go up to 80 or 90 percent. We are working with those countries to move forward. That’s the reality of where we are now, says CEO Seth Berkley at GAVI to VG.
The case continues after the video …
Money still missing
Currently, more than 200 different corona vaccine candidates are being developed around the world. The COVAX Alliance already has a partnership with nine of them. But only now, when countries have committed to financially support this project, can they enter into formal agreements and reserve doses.
But they lack money.
– So far three billion US dollars have been invested. That is a good start. We need $ 15 billion right away, says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The goal is to have two billion doses of vaccines available by the end of 2021.
– We have talks with 38 other countries and we hope that the number of countries that commit will increase. 64 percent of the world’s population is covered by the COVAX collaboration, says GAVI CEO Seth Berkley.
SEE ALSO: Oslo City Councilor Raymond Johansen asks everyone to wear masks when taking public transport. But not everyone did this at the evening rush hour in Oslo on Monday.
