UNICEF to Ship 2 billion Covid-19 Vaccines to Poor Nations in 2021

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have announced on November 23, 2020 that it will ship nearly 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to the poor nations. This would be shipped and flown in a “mammoth operation”. With this announcement,  UNICEF will make sure the honest distribution of vaccines.

How the vaccines would be distributed?

UNICEF highlighted that it is working with over 350 airways and freight corporations to ship vaccines. It also collaborates with some 1 billion syringes so as to distribute the vaccines to poor nations as a part of COVAX.

Why emphasis being given on equitable distribution?

The World Health Organization (WHO) survey shows that the entry to vaccines was unequal even in the pre-COVID-19 era. It was observed that  around 20 million infants were not receiving vaccines that could save them from critical ailments, demise and sick well being.

What is COVAX?

COVAX is a worldwide Covid-19 vaccine allocation plan. This plan is led by the  World Health Organization (WHO) and is co-led by GAVI vaccine group and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).  The COVAX plan aims to discourage the government from hoarding Covid-19 vaccines. It also help to deal with first vaccinating in across the world. It is one of three pillars of Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.  The COVAX was launched in April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission and France against the Covid-19 pandemic.

ACT Accelerator

It is a collaborating framework that accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. This has been built on three pillars namely, Vaccines (COVAX), Therapeutics and Diagnostics.