Pfizer and WHO ink deal to supply 40 million vaccine doses to poorer nations

The World Health Organization (WHO), on January 22, revealed that it had reached an agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech for 40 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine. The deal was made as a part of the UN agency’s ambitious COVAX programme which aims at inoculating residents in underdeveloped and developing countries. After successfully securing vaccines the WHO now plans to begin their roll out as early as February. Although a distribution plan has not been concreted as yet, experts have speculated that health workers would be prioritised. 

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COVAX is one of the three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims at providing innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatment and vaccine. On January 22, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, speaking at a press briefing, said that 40 million doses, a fraction of the company's total 2021 production estimate of 2 billion, would be sold on a non-profit basis. He described it as an initial agreement and said more doses could be provided through the COVAX programme in future.

'donate vaccines' 

WHO has been quite vocal about the hoarding of vaccine doses by rich countries and has often called out “vaccine nationalism”. Commenting on the latest agreement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the new deal, he hopes, would encourage other countries to donate their vaccine jabs like Norway did earlier this month. In addendum,  also hailed the new American administration's vow to contribute to the COVAX programme.  

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Earlier this week, Ghebreyesus had opinionated that the world was on the “brink of catastrophic moral failure" highlighting that rich countries continue to hog COVID-19 vaccine doses while poorest suffer. Lambasting wealthy nations for their “Me first” attitude, the Director-General stressed that nearly 39 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine had been administered so far in only 49 higher-income countries. However, he added that "just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country. Not 25 million; not 25,000; just 25".  Speaking further at a WHO executive board meeting, Ghebreyesus said that it was time for him to be blunt that price of the world’s moral failure would be paid by destitute.

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