COVAX Secures Almost 2 Billion COVID-19 Vaccine Doses for Poorer Nations

The World Health Organization has announced that its COVAX program has now reached supply agreements for almost 2 billion doses of several promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates for distribution to less well-off countries next year.

The latest deals include an advance purchase agreement with AstraZeneca for 170 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate, AZD1222, and a memorandum of understanding with Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the candidate from its Janssen subsidiary, Ad26.COV2.S, which is being evaluated as a single dose vaccination.

The COVAX program, which is administered by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, set an ambitious goal earlier this year of vaccinating two-thirds of the world’s population by the end of 2021. The U.S. and Russia are notably absent from the countries supporting the global effort. China also initially withheld its support but agreed in October to take part in the program.

“These agreements mean that all COVAX’s 190 participating and eligible economies will be able to access doses to protect vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021,” the WHO said. “At least 1.3 billion donor-funded doses will be made available to 92 economies” of low- and middle-income nations, with a goal of up to 20 percent population coverage by the end of 2021, the WHO said. — Martin Berman-Gorvine