WHO calls nations to avoid vaccine hoarding

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an August 31 deadline for its call to developed countries to participate in the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility that aims to provide vaccines to poor nations.
• Amid rising concerns against possible hoarding of the COVID-19 vaccine, the WHO spearheaded the COVAX scheme as a way to equally distribute the anticipated medications globally.
• The international group noted that those wealthy nations that made deals with drug companies and those making their own would make it more difficult for COVAX to succeed.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a final call on Tuesday for nations to participate in a global vaccine pact. He also said that countries that would hoard potential vaccines for COVID-19 and exclude others will all the more aggravate the pandemic.

Imposing deadline on August 31, the international group has asked the first-world countries to join the “COVAX Global Vaccines Facility,” a program that aims to provide vaccines to developing nations. The letter was sent to the 194 members.

“We need to prevent vaccine nationalism. Sharing finite supplies strategically and globally is actually in each country’s national interest,” Tedros said during a virtual briefing.

The call to join COVAX was a response to the growing concerns that national interests could disrupt global efforts in mitigating the virus. Nations such as Britain, Switzerland, the European Union, and the US have already made deals with drug companies that are undergoing clinical trials for potential vaccines, while Russia and China are working to come up with their own medication.

Currently, the COVAX facility has gained attention from 92 third-world countries and 80 developed nations, but the WHO hopes that more wealthy nations will cooperate to finance the program.

According to Bruce Aylward, WHO’s lead on ‘Access to COVID-19 Tools’ initiative, some countries were awaiting a deadline before confirming their commitment since the facility’s provisions are still being finalized.

“We are not twisting arms for people to join,” Aylward said. “We’ve had more and more discussions with a broader and broader group of players … to work through what might be the barriers to collaborating ━ issues around price, issues around timing, issues around national expectations.”

The WHO said that countries that made agreements with other institutions lessen their eagerness to join COVAX.

“Which one will be the candidate that will be successful, we don’t know yet,” Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director for drug and vaccine access, said.

“By joining the facility at the same time that you do bilateral deals, you’re actually betting on a larger number of vaccine candidates.”

According to a Reuters tally, coronavirus has infected nearly 22 million people with 772, 647 fatalities worldwide.

Source: AOL.com