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TOustralia is considering diverting Covid-19 vaccines from its vaccination program to Papua New Guinea (PNG), where the coronavirus threatens to trigger a humanitarian disaster, a government source said.
Papua New Guinea is expected to receive 588,000 doses of vaccine by June under the Covax initiative to help the poorest countries, but questions have been raised about those supplies due to new restrictions imposed on producing countries as it spreads. the virus.
The European Union is implementing stricter vaccine export controls and has not yet responded to an Australian request to release 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has been contracted to go to Australia, instead of PNG, said the source to Reuters.
India has temporarily suspended all major exports of the Serum Institute of India injection of AstraZeneca to meet domestic demand, which will almost certainly delay deliveries to PNG.
There is growing concern that PNG, an island nation of some 10 million people, many of whom live in impoverished and isolated communities, cannot afford to wait.
“We have a humanitarian disaster unfolding in our backyard,” said the source, who is familiar with the government’s thinking on the issue. The source declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Australia is still lobbying the EU for one million doses, but is considering other options, the source said.
PNG, which was administered by Australia before its independence, has recorded more than 4,000 cases of the virus, according to figures released Thursday. But Australia says the count vastly understates the scope of the crisis, as the Pacific country does not conduct massive testing.
PNG’s largest hospitals have reported that up to 80% are testing positive and Prime Minister James Marape has said the virus has been “unleashed.”
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