The global COVAX vaccine initiative launched detailed plans to distribute vaccines to 45 participants in the first half of 2021.
Zoom In: Canada, which bought more doses per capita than any other country, still chose to take 1.9 million doses of COVAX.
Be smart: Sign up for free for America’s most influential newsletter.
The big picture: COVAX is the only global mechanism for the distribution of vaccines and involves almost all countries on the planet, with the richest countries subsidizing the access of the poorest.
-
The initial phases involve 336 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, in addition to a much smaller volume of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
-
By the end of 2021, COVAX aims to ensure that at least 20% of the population in all countries has been vaccinated.
Each participant has the right to claim doses, but most of the wealthy countries that secured access through bilateral agreements chose not to, at least in the first wave.
-
As Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, told reporters on Wednesday: “It helps when countries that have a lot of bilateral agreements don’t take doses? Of course it helps because that means more doses are available for others.”
-
While several other wealthy countries (Monaco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore) claim doses of COVAX, Canada is the only G7 country on the list.
-
The initial phase involves 336 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as a much smaller volume of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
What they are saying: “COVAX has always been part of the procurement strategy of the Government of Canada”, Minister of International Development Karina Gould told CTV, adding that the government’s top priority is ensuring that Canadians have access.
The current situation: Although Canada has purchased around 200 million doses for its population of 38 million people, it has managed only one million.
-
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced severe pressure because of repeated delays in supply, which are partly due to a lack of domestic production capacity.
-
The other side: Many countries have not yet administered a single dose and will not do so until they start receiving supplies from COVAX.
What to watch: Trudeau had previously committed to donating excess doses to COVAX, but did not say whether Canada would do so before fully covering its own domestic needs.
Worthless: North Korea, which cut itself off from the world even more strongly during the pandemic and claims to be free of COVID, also expects doses of COVAX.
Go deeper: The global line of vaccines against coronavirus dates back to 2023.
Get smarter and faster with the news that CEOs, entrepreneurs and politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.