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NEW YORK: 28 manufacturers in 10 countries could produce unprecedented quantities of vaccines over the next two years to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said on Thursday (September 4) as he announced that he would help lead the effort. to acquire and distribute them.
UNICEF’s role is part of a COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan, known as COVAX and co-led by the World Health Organization, that aims to purchase and provide equitable access to vaccines. So far, 76 wealthy nations have pledged to join the COVAX effort.
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UNICEF said the 28 vaccine manufacturers had shared their annual production plans for COVID-19 vaccines through 2023.
A UNICEF market assessment “revealed that manufacturers are willing to collectively produce unprecedented quantities of vaccines over the next 1-2 years.”
But drug makers have said the projections are “highly dependent, among other things, on whether clinical trials are successful, advance purchase agreements are established, funding is confirmed, and registration and regulatory pathways are simplified.”
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Safe and effective vaccines are considered essential to end a pandemic that has so far claimed more than 864,000 lives worldwide.
UNICEF’s new role with COVAX stems from its status as the world’s leading individual vaccine buyer. The UN agency said it purchases more than 2 billion doses of vaccines a year for routine immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries.
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