The logo of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the entrance to its HQ in Geneva.

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Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Underprivileged countries will receive the first anti-Covid vaccines in the first quarter of 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday, which has set up a device with the Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi).

This mechanism, named Covax (Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access), has already "obtained nearly two billion" doses so far, said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference.

Nearly 190 countries affected by the Covax mechanism

The announcement comes as several countries have launched with great fanfare in recent days their vaccination programs against the coronavirus, as in the United States and the United Kingdom.

WHO has set itself the goal of having 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of 2021, as part of the Covax mechanism, in which 190 countries are currently participating, including 92 low and middle income.

In a statement, the WHO and Gavi said it was now possible to "schedule the first vaccine deliveries in the first quarter of 2021, the first tranche of doses - enough to protect health and social workers - being delivered during the first half of 2021 to all participating economies (to the Covax mechanism) which have requested doses within this period ”.

Agreements with three laboratories

Further dose deliveries to all participants will follow in the second half of 2021, with the goal of delivering doses for up to 20% of the population of participating countries by the end of the year, the report said. communicated.

"Today's announcements offer the clearest path yet to end the acute phase of the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable populations around the world," the statement said.

And additional doses to achieve higher coverage levels will be available in 2022.

Partner organizations point out that all of these vaccine shipments depend on several factors, such as regulatory approvals and country readiness.

Agreements have so far been signed with three laboratories - AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi-GSK, which have not yet been authorized by national authorities.

But the WHO said Friday it had signed an agreement with the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the vaccine candidate Janssen, which has not yet been authorized.

"The arrival of vaccines allows us to see the light at the end of the tunnel"

WHO is also in discussions with Pfizer, whose vaccine has been approved by several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

That of Moderna, with whom discussions are also underway, is in the process of being in the United States.

"The arrival of vaccines gives us to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"But we will only truly end the pandemic if we end it everywhere at the same time, which means that it is essential to immunize certain people in all countries, rather than all people in certain countries," a- he added.

WHO and its partners also stress that the success of this colossal project will also depend on the funds received.

"Thanks to the generous support of sovereign, private sector and philanthropic donors," the Covax mechanism "has met its urgent fundraising goal for 2020 of $ 2 billion", but at least an additional $ 4.6 billion will be needed in 2021, the statement said.

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