WHO wants a donation of 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine

WHO wants a donation of 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine
WHO wants a donation of 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Avatar of Harry Johnson
Written by Harry Johnson

Ensuring that all those around the world most vulnerable to the impact of the virus, including healthcare workers, older people and those with significant comorbidities, can be vaccinated quickly is a critical step towards curbing the pandemic.

  • The pace of COVID-19 vaccine redistribution from high-income to low-income countries is very slow.
  • Rich countries urged to donate at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • So far, 92 countries have received some 89 million vaccines.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, expressed deep concern over the slow pace of vaccine redistribution from high-income to low-income countries.

0a1 7 | eTurboNews | eTN

The two former leaders served as co-chairs of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2020. Its final report was published in May.

“The Independent Panel report recommended that high-income countries ensure that at least one billion doses of vaccines available to them were redistributed to 92 low and middle-income countries by 1 September, and a further one billion doses by mid-2022”, they declared.

“Ensuring that all those around the world most vulnerable to the impact of the virus, including healthcare workers, older people and those with significant comorbidities, can be vaccinated quickly is a critical step towards curbing the pandemic.”

To date, the global solidarity initiative COVAX has shipped 99 million donated doses, they said. While 92 countries have received some 89 million vaccines, this is far short of the one billion called for in the report.

“High-income countries have ordered over twice as many doses as are needed for their populations. Now is the time to show solidarity with those who have not yet been able to vaccinate their frontline health workers and most vulnerable populations,” the former leaders stated.

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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