A total of 337.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines are planned to be distributed through the COVAX facility to developing countries, shows a distribution plan.
The document was released Wednesday by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF.
It will be enough to vaccinate almost 169 million people with two doses – about three percent of the population in the 145 countries that are part of the global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The COVAX facility is expected to distribute 336 million doses of the vaccines developed by AstraZeneka and Oxford in the first two quarters. Most of them are manufactured in India.
Additional 1,2 million doses from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines are expected in the first quarter.
The rollout could start in late February, according to Ann Lindstrand of the World Health Organization.
COVAX will cover costs of vaccine procurement of 92 poor countries. Others will get them by affordable prices.
Countries will receive doses in proportion to their population size.
India will get the most – 97,2 million, followed by Pakistan (17,2 million), Nigeria (16 million, Indonesia (13,7 million), Bangladesh (12,8 million), Brazil (10,6 million), Kenya (4,2 million), Sudan 93,4 million), Yemen (2,3 million) and Syria (1,02 million).
Of the countries in the region, Serbia is expected to receive 345,600 doses, Bosnia and Herzegovina – 177,000, Albania – 141,600, North Macedonia – 103,200, Kosovo – 100,800, and Montenegro 84,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
