COVAX Will Hold Back 5 Percent of Vaccine Doses for Emergencies

The COVAX vaccine-sharing program will stockpile 5 percent of its vaccine doses for high-risk populations in humanitarian settings or for emergency outbreaks, said Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which operates the global program alongside the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

The reserve doses will be used to fill “unavoidable gaps” in vaccine coverage, such as in areas where there is ongoing conflict and in “areas controlled by nonstate armed groups inaccessible to governments,” Gavi said.

The COVAX vaccine “buffer” is expected to contain 100 million doses by year’s end. The program has delivered 31 million doses to 57 regions so far.