Africa has secured an additional 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines while the continent faces a second wave of coronavirus powered by the South African variant that, according to the World Health Organization, has become the dominant strain on the continent.
The new doses – of the AstraZeneca vaccine – were obtained through India’s Serum Institute, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
With the new doses, in addition to the 270 million doses announced earlier this month by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, “I think we are starting to make very good progress,” said CDC Africa director John Nkengasong to the reporters.
Parts of the African continent are seeing a strong resurgence of coronavirus infections, with WHO noting that 22 countries continued to see the increase in the number of cases last week as a result of the emergence of the new 501Y.V2 variant, which was first identified in South Africa.
The UN health agency said the variant is now “prevalent and driving the record number of cases in South Africa and the sub-region” and was also found in 24 countries outside Africa.
“The variant that was first detected in South Africa has spread rapidly beyond Africa and what keeps me up at night now is that it is probably circulating in several African countries,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director of WHO for Africa in a statement.
A variant that was initially detected in the United Kingdom and also more transmissible has been found in Gambia and Nigeria, said Moeti.
Nkengasong called the spread “very aggressive” and warned that the second wave had not yet peaked.
Africa’s 2.5 percent fatality rate remains above the global 2.2 percent rate, and 14 of the 54 African countries have fatality rates above 3 percent. The continent has more than 3.4 million confirmed cases of viruses, including more than 87,000 deaths.
The 1.3 billion continent is rushing to get enough vaccines for the goal of vaccinating 60 percent of its population for collective immunity, and Moeti urged African countries to intensify testing, isolating contacts, treating patients and preventive measures in order to contain the outbreak until inoculations can be implemented.
“Our common goal is to get ahead of the virus,” he said. “Unfortunately, the journey will be longer, more difficult and much more expensive in the absence of consistent commitments from across society to block the infection.”
The authorities have repeatedly asked rich countries that have stored vaccines to share with the developing world.
Africa is expected to receive 600 million additional doses through the global COVAX initiative led by WHO, which aims to help low-income countries.
In a separate briefing, Richard Mihigo, from WHO, said that the first doses should be launched “probably in the middle of next month and, in March, we will definitely see most countries vaccinating, targeting high-risk groups”.
He called it a “slow start”, but said he expects the process to accelerate in the coming months.
As for the 270 million doses previously announced, “we know very well that some of these doses will not be available soon,” said Mihigo. He gave no details.
He said that overall, reaching 35 percent of Africa’s population with COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this year could be a “realistic assumption”.
Mihigo also criticized the global differences in the cost of COVID-19 vaccines.
It is a “shocking fact that a rich country can pay less than a country that is experiencing difficulties,” he said, pointing out that higher-income African countries, such as South Africa, are not eligible for donated vaccines. “It is time, really, to demand a fair price for these countries … at least, at the same price that the rich countries are receiving.”