UNICEF thanks India, SII as global alliance starts equitable vaccine rollout
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 3
Serum Institute of India-manufactured AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine ‘Covishield’ will form a bulk portion of global vaccine supplies, said the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Global vaccine alliance Gavi and WHO which, along with delivery partner UNICEF, published information on the first round of vaccine allocations through COVAX on Wednesday.
COVAX is an international facility created to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID 19-jabs.
As supplies began to roll in, Unicef “thanked” India and Serum Institute for being the first to help deliver vaccines to low and middle-income nations.
“Last week’s momentous arrivals are just the first batches of vaccines that UNICEF will ship through the COVAX Facility as part of this historic effort to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to around 190 countries and territories. To date, more than 1.1 million doses have been delivered, with more than twenty more countries expected to receive hundreds of thousands of doses this week. I would like to thank SII for being the first to help deliver vaccines to AMC countries and for working around the clock to package and make vaccines available in record time, as well as to the Government of India for their immense support. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.
The COVAX leaders said, “The first round allocation outlines delivery of 237 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine – manufactured by AstraZeneca (AZ) and licensed and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII/AZ) – to 142 facility participants through February-May 2021.”
Vaccine doses have already arrived in West Africa and Asia with many more countries to follow in the coming days and weeks.
“We’ve now seen Africa’s first vaccinations with COVAX doses in Ghana and Ivory Coast, in truly moving ceremonies in both countries yesterday,” Fore said as India pushed ahead with its vaccine diplomacy.
A Philippines team is also arriving in India next week to sign supply agreements for SII and US-based Novovax-made Covovax vaccine and Bharat Biotech made COVAXIN if the Filipino FDA grants emergency use authorisation to COVAXIN. The authorisation has been pending since January 21.
