The international vaccination program for poor countries, Covax, has delivered the billionth dose of the corona vaccine. The dose was in stock for African Rwanda. There is talk of a milestone. Meanwhile, 144 less prosperous countries have received Covax deliveries.
Covax runs on donations from richer countries, for example. In total, donations amounting to 8.8 billion euros have been received so far.
Still, Covax was forced to more than halve its targets. In fact, 2 billion doses should have been distributed last year alone, but the target was reduced to 800 million doses.
Covax had to lower ambitions due to slow deliveries from manufacturers, export stops, the hoarding of vaccines by rich countries and problems with distribution in the poorer countries. Also, stocks are sometimes offered that have a very short shelf life and are therefore refused by the recipients.
More than 40 percent of the world’s population had no access to any vaccine. In many African countries, no more than ten doses per 100 inhabitants have been administered, compared to, for example, 185 per 100 inhabitants in Germany.
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