The global COVAX vaccine initiative has deployed detailed plans to distribute vaccines to 145 participants during the first half of 2021.
Zoom in: Canada, which has bought more doses per capita than any other country, has decided, however, to take 1.9 million doses of COVAX.
The general picture: COVAX is the only global mechanism for vaccine distribution and involves almost every country on Earth, with richer countries subsidizing access for the poorest.
- The initial stages involve 336 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as a much smaller volume of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
- By the end of 2021, COVAX aims to ensure that at least 20% of the population of all countries has been vaccinated.
All participants have the right to claim doses, but most rich countries that have secured access through bilateral agreements have chosen not to do so, at least in the first wave.
- As Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, told reporters on Wednesday: “Does it help when countries with many bilateral agreements do not take doses? Of course, it helps because that means more doses are available for others. “.
- While several other rich countries (Monaco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore) claim doses of COVAX, Canada is the only G7 country on the list.
What they say: “COVAX has always been part of the Government of Canada’s procurement strategy,” said the Minister of International Development Karina Gould told CTV, adding that the government ‘s top priority is to ensure that Canadians have access to it.
The state of play: Although Canada has purchased about 200 million doses for its population of 38 million people, it has only administered one million.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced strong pressure from repeated delays in supply, which are due in part to a lack of domestic manufacturing capacity.
- The other side: Many countries have not yet administered a single dose and will not do so until they begin receiving supplies of COVAX.
What to see: Trudeau has previously pledged to give the overdose to COVAX, but has not said whether Canada will do so before it has fully covered its own domestic needs.
It is necessary to emphasize: North Korea, which has separated from the world even more strongly during the pandemic and claims to be free of COVID, is also expecting doses of COVAX.
In depth: The overall line for coronavirus vaccines dates back to 2023.