World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his UN agency's COVAX scheme had reached a deal with vaccine maker Pfizer-BioNTech for 40 million doses for poorer countries. This is reported by DW.
Another 150 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine will come in the first quarter of 2021 under COVAX — assuming WHO safety clearance, said Seth Berkley, chief executive of the private-public vaccination fund GAVI.
Addressing a press conference in Geneva, UN agency head Tedros added that fresh US "commitment" under new President Joe Biden to join COVAX meant "that we are closer to fulfilling" the scheme's promise.
Launched last year before vaccines became readily available, COVAX's initial aim is to immunize the most vulnerable 20% of poorer coronavirus-threatened nations.
Chinese and Russian vaccines, if proven safe and efficacious, could also be added to COVAX.
"We still have a lot of work to do," said WHO head Tedros, "but the light at the end of the tunnel continues to grow brighter."
