COVAX looking to roll out of Covid vaccines by second quarter

The COVAX facility, under which Guyana is to receive Covid vaccines, is working to secure some two billion doses to start the rollout to countries by the second quarter. 

This was relayed by Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank during Tuesday’s COVID-19 update.

The Minister says the World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to convene an executive board meeting to discuss new developments concerning the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. 

“Our main discussions on vaccine have been centred on working with COVAX, and we continue to do that. We’ve had some good news from COVAX during this week, there’s an executive board meeting with the World Health Organization, which we are participating in … COVAX have reported that they now put deals in place to acquire two billion doses of vaccines and they are working to get these vaccines out by the second quarter of this year.”

The Minister explained that rolling out the vaccines would depend on getting regulatory approval for them. 

“Once they get that and it’s deemed to be safe by the WHO, they will be able to roll that out. We understand they have a basket of various vaccines.” 

The WHO has compiled a list of Covid vaccines for emergency use and the Pfizer vaccine has been included. However, the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are still under consideration. 

“Maybe in the next two months or so they probably will be granted emergency use listing, but we are waiting for that to happen.”

Guyana is to receive vaccines from COVAX to cover 20 per cent of its population, with an initial three per cent disbursement and the remainder later.

COVAX is a Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations formed by the WHO. It aims to accelerate development and the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.