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17
September
2021

COVAX mechanism to continue in 2022 – WHO rep in Ukraine

KYIV. Sept 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The global COVAX initiative will continue in 2022, the further development of this mechanism for providing vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) will depend on the situation, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine Dr. Jarno Habicht has said.

“In 2022, this work will continue for sure, but later we will see if there will be a need for it. Many countries are now organizing their own ways to obtain and purchase vaccines, including Ukraine. In particular, Ukraine, on the basis of bilateral agreements, has purchased 15-20 million doses of vaccine,” he told Interfax-Ukraine in an exclusive interview.

It is important for WHO to make sure there is enough vaccine, Habicht said.

“For Ukraine, for instance, the situation is such that it is, in a sense, even easier for it to get a vaccine than countries that have a higher level of income,” he said.

Commenting on the availability of facilities for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, Habicht said the number of manufacturers is now constantly growing, as is the number of production sites that are located in different countries.

The COVAX Global Access Mechanism is a global initiative to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by the Vaccine Alliance (formerly Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, or GAVI), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO). COVAX coordinates international resources to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have equal access to COVID-19 tests, therapies and vaccines. By July 2020, some 165 countries have joined COVAX, representing 60% of the human population.

A total of 172 countries are currently negotiating for possible participation in COVAX, a global initiative to work with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries with equitable access to safe and effective vaccines once licensed and registered. COVAX has the largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine development portfolio in the world to date, with nine candidate vaccines and nine more vaccines undergoing preliminary evaluations, and is in talks with other major manufacturers.