- The World Health Organization stated it had struck a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.
- The WHO intended to produce 135 million vaccines in the opening quarter of 2021, without proffering a supplier’s breakdown.
TheNewsDesk: On Friday, The World Health Organization stated it had made a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and should be able to begin producing vaccines to the poor and lower-middle-income nations subsequent month under its COVAX schedule.
The COVAX scheme, led by the WHO and the GAVI vaccine alliance, signed deals for hundreds of millions of doses to vaccinate people in poor and lower-middle-income countries, but vaccinations have yet to start. Pfizer’s vaccine is so far the only one that has WHO emergency approval.
On Thursday, “In this world, we are as protected as our neighbor,” Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, stated formally, declaring the agreement which Reuters published.
Bourla told the 40 million doses, a portion of the company’s entire 2021 production estimate of 2 billion, would be traded on a non-profit basis. He described it as an initial agreement and announced more doses could be provided through the future COVAX program.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated that Pfizer’s new record should concede vaccinations to commence in February for health workers. However, aspects of supply systems are still being achieved.
He stated he assumed the deal would also inspire other countries to provide more Pfizer shots to promote fast roll-out, as Norway has.
He stated, “The commitment of the (United States) to join COVAX, together with this new agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech, means that we are closer to fulfilling the promise of COVAX.”
On Thursday, Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Adviser of U.S. President Joe Biden’s office, stated that the United States committed to aligning the department. Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump had ceased funding to the Geneva-based body and published a retraction method.
The WHO stated earlier this week it intended to produce 135 million vaccines in the opening quarter of 2021, without proffering a supplier’s breakdown.
In similar guidelines, Seth Berkley, GAVI’s CEO, stated that countries would take dose calculations for the initial part of this year in a week.
Source-https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-pfizer-covax-idUSL1N2JX1T6