WHO Chief: COVID-19 vaccine will be allocated based on ACT-Accelerator principles

Taking to Twitter, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that after a COVID-19 vaccine is developed it will be distributed on the bases of the principles agreed upon by the 'ACT-Accelerator and its partners'. He also said that the aim is to ensure that the initial supply is used 'wisely' and the 'essential and vulnerable population' is protected. The ACT-Accelerator is a global initiative to speed up the development and production of any and all COVID-19 tools & treatments and ensure equitable access. 

WHO Chief on COVAX

COVAX Facility was originally launched in April 2020, Dr Ghebreyesus informed that over 170 countries and economies which represent 90% of the world's population have come together for the WHO initiative. Co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, COVAX initiative aims to fast-tracking the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world. It also focuses on the development of a safe and effective vaccine as well as 'smart prioritization' of it. 

Read | COVID-19: Union Health Minister Assures 'fair And Equitable Distribution' Of Vaccine

Read | WHO Calls For Scaling Up Investments In Mental Healthcare

Read | WHO Says 70% COVID-19 Cases In Just 10 Countries, Terms Pandemic ‘Wake Up Call’

While COVAX aims to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine development, it has also cautioned that a race to develop an effective vaccine for coronavirus can lead to public fears about safety. Earlier, WHO Chief Dr Ghebreyesus had said that the world cannot risk having an effective Coronavirus vaccine that people refuse because they think it is unsafe. Speaking about the rush to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, he said, "We already face challenges with vaccine acceptance for many proven vaccines. The first vaccine to be approved may not be the best. The more shots on goal we have, the higher the chances of having a very safe, very efficacious vaccine."

Read | WHO: Worldwide Record 350,000 New Daily Cases

Read | WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Says Actual COVID-19 Deaths 'certainly Higher' Than 1 Million

Countries against COVAX Facility

Despite WHO global initiative, some countries including the United States and Japan have signed their own bilateral deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure millions of doses of vaccines. These countries have also refused to become a part of COVAX. In July this year, these countries announced their withdrawal from WHO after accusing it of mismanaging the pandemic and siding with the Chinese Communist Party.

Read | Priyanka Chopra Hosts TED Countdown Session With Chris Hemsworth, Says She 'misses India'

Read | WHO Asks COVAX Participants To Focus On Safe And Fair Distribution Of COVID-19 Vaccine

(With inputs from agencies)