Covid-19: the African Union obtains 270 million vaccines for the continent

Medical staff take care of a patient with Covid, in Machakos (Kenya), August 3, 2020. TONY KARUMBA / AFP

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The African Union has obtained 270 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines to be distributed among the countries of the continent.

50 million doses will be available between April and June.

They are purchased by the AU from Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson laboratories.

These orders are not the only sources of supply for Africa, which also benefits from the Covax system launched by the WHO, and from measures taken at state level.

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This is a strong signal from the African Union: the continent is not waiting for global charity to obtain its doses of the anti-Covid vaccine.

And intends to get supplies like the rest of the planet from major laboratories.

270 million vaccines will be purchased from Pfizer and AstratZeneca, among others.

But Africa is not giving up on the Covax initiative, launched both by the World Health Organization and the rich countries, in order to promote equitable access to all countries to the vaccines developed in the world.

Only the African Union fears that the volumes available between February and June by Covax will be barely sufficient to vaccinate healthcare workers.

Direct orders between states

But currently, the continent is hit by a second wave much more deadly than the first, and must go faster.

These two vaccine access channels are not the only ones, some countries do not hesitate to order directly.

Thus, Algeria bought the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Morocco for its part opts for the product of AstraZeneca and especially that of Chinese Sinopharm, part of which will be produced in a Moroccan factory.

Senegal, finally, has just announced that it is also

in discussions with Sinopharm

for the first phase of its vaccination program.

To read also: Covid-19: what access to a future vaccine for Africa?

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  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine

  • African Union