UN-backed COVAX Programme

Source- Business Standard

Syllabus- GS 2 – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

Synopsis- The COVAX program struggled with its ambitious promise of providing global access to COVID-19 vaccines.

What is COVAX?

The COVAX program is organized by the vaccine alliance GAVI, WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in partnership with UNICEF, vaccine manufacturers and the World Bank, among others.

• Aim
  • Ensure rapid, fair and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally.
  • Target –To deliver 1.8 billion doses to more than 90 lower-income economies by early 2022.
• Vaccine included in COVAX programme – Oxford AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson and Johnson.

However,

• Months after receiving the initial shipments from a programme, countries across Africa, Asia, and other areas have ran out of vaccinations or are on the verge of doing so.
• Of the 80 low-income nations that got vaccines under the COVAX programme, 40 are out of vaccines or on the verge.
• Only 88 million doses have been delivered.

Challenges with Vaccine shortage –

• More chances of mutation of virus- The delay could give more opportunities to mutate into new variants that could be more transmissible or evade vaccines.
• Could leads to the partial vaccination – Due to a lack of vaccines, vulnerable populations such as the elderly and health workers may only receive a partial vaccination.
• Supply shortage and uncertainty could undermine confidence in vaccine programs in lower-income countries.
• COVAX also struggled to get firm purchase agreements with vaccine manufacturers.

Way forward-

Vaccines are a key part of the solution to ending COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the COVAX programme should ensure that vaccinations are distributed fairly and that no one is left behind.

• Also there is need to overcome long standing hurdles such as supply chain constraints, lack of transparency in purchase agreements with vaccine manufacturers, reaching the last mile and others.