Washington, Sep 16 (FN Agency) The African continent is facing a 470 million COVID-19 vaccine shortfall due to the cuts in the COVAX facility deliveries, with enough doses to vaccinate only 17% of the population versus the target 40%, the WHO reported on Thursday. “With the cutback COVAX is now expected to deliver 470 million doses to Africa this year. These will be enough to vaccinate just 17% of the population, far below the 40% target,” the report said.
As of now, Africa will need additional 470 million doses to reach the end-year target, given all remaining COVAX shipments are delivered as planned, the WHO noted. The shortage can be attributed to export bans and vaccine hoarding policies perpetuated by the world’s leading economies, according to the WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti. He urged vaccine manufacturing countries to “open the gates” and help reduce the inequity, warning that failure to act now may result in the spread of vaccine-resistant COVID-19 variants.
“Manufacturers must deliver to COVAX in line with firm commitments, and countries that are well-advanced with vaccinations must expand and accelerate donations, ensuring doses are available in larger, more predictable volumes and with longer shelf lives,” the WHO stated. The document also called on the COVAX donor countries to share their supply schedules to enhance transparency and prompted states that have enough vaccines to give up their place in the queue for deliveries. This month, Africa is set to receive another 95 million vaccine doses via COVAX, which will allow the continent to vaccinate some 3.6% of its population. In the second week of September, Africa registered a total of 8.06 million COVID-19 cases, with daily increase reaching as high as 125,000 new cases per week. The death toll was estimated at 2,531 patients a week.