Unicef to grant two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries

Unicef plans to grant nearly 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries by 2021. The children’s rights organisation stated this after world leaders at the G20 promised that the vaccines would be distributed fairly.

Unicef said to work with more than 350 airlines and cargo companies to supply vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries such as Burundi, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Yemen for this mammoth operation.

Unicef already distributes over 2 billion vaccines every year in almost 100 countries. Over 760 million children have been vaccinated in the last 20 years, preventing 13 million deaths worldwide. Unicef will therefore use this expertise to guide the purchase and distribution of a vaccine against Covid-19.

The organisation is committed to the operation of Covax, an international initiative that encourages the development and production of medicines and vaccines against Covid-19. In doing so, governments are discouraged from hoarding vaccines and are encouraged to vaccinate only the most vulnerable people in the first instance.