India's first vaccine shipment under COVAX to be rolled out soon, to 25-30 countries: WHO

WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Monday said that India's first shipment under COVAX, which aims at innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 treatment and vaccine for all countries, is likely to commence this week. Appreciating India's contribution as a drug manufacturer giant, Soumya Swaminathan said that the 'role being played by India needs to be recognized.' Earlier, the Serum Institute of India signed an agreement with United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) to provide them a long-term supply of up to 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines.  

India's first shipment under COVAX

During a virtual panel discussion, the WHO chief Scientist said, "Not in the next couple of months. This week. (I think) today or tomorrow, the first shipment from India, from the Serum Institute, will be going out to at least 25 or 30 countries and then we hope that this will be followed by the vaccines also that are being manufactured in India. Many countries around the world are waiting for the distribution to happen as they have been watching vaccination programs beginning and scaling in high-income countries, while their own healthcare workers and other vulnerable groups are still waiting."

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Last week, the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) announced that it has entered an agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for a long-term supply of up to 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to around 100 countries. Also, US President Joe Biden announced a contribution of $4 billion for the global vaccine alliance- COVAX. The aim of this alliance will be to help poor countries. With this, he will also encourage G-7 partners to make good on their pledges to COVAX. The G7 or Group of 7, which comprises the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the EU, vowed to support the initiative and committed a sum of 7.5 billion. To strengthen the COVAX facility, India pledged to provide 2,00,000 Covid vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers. 

What is COVAX?

COVAX is one of the three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator that aims at innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatment and vaccine. The WHO chief, who expressed concerns about vaccine nationalism, had previously asked the international communities to contribute a sum of $4 million in a bid to aid the purchase of vaccines for distribution in lower and middle-income countries through the COVAX vaccine facility. The initiative aims to inoculate and distribute vaccines to underdeveloped and developing nations by early 2021. The WHO Director-General also stressed that if all countries act together, then humankind could beat the virus and prohibit mutating further. “Morally, economically, socially & for global security, we must act together right now,” he said.

(with inputs from PTI)

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