G7 pledges 870 mn Covid vaccine doses, half to be delivered by 2021-end

 

Leaders of G7 countries have agreed in an agreement at their summit to share at least 870 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines directly, at least half of which are to be delivered by the end of 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.

In a statement, the WHO said the G7 countries have reaffirmed their support for COVAX, a WHO-led international campaign for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines globally, as "the primary route for providing vaccines to the poorest countries", Xinhua news agency reported.

While welcoming the G7's commitment, COVAX partners have also called for their continued support for exporting the vaccines in significant proportions, promotion of voluntary licensing and not-for-profit global production.

COVAX has been facing an urgent supply gap, according to the WHO, and is focused on securing as many shared doses as possible immediately. It will work with the G7 and other countries that have stepped up to share doses as rapidly and equitably as possible, to address short-term supply constraints and minimize the prospect of future deadly variants. Read More