COVAX publishes first round of allocations

UNICEF Supply Division, 2 March 2021 

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as co-leads of the COVAX initiative for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF, are pleased to publish COVAX’s first round of allocations.

Following from the publication of an interim distribution forecast, and based on current knowledge of supply availability, this first round of allocations provides information on provision of doses of the AstraZeneca(AZ)/Oxford vaccine to COVAX Facility participants, through May 2021.

This first round of allocation outlines delivery of doses of the AZ/Oxford vaccine – manufactured by AstraZeneca (AZ) and COVISHIELD, licensed to and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII/AZ) – to 142 Facility participants. Participants not listed have either exercised their rights to opt-out of this vaccine, wish to transfer allocated doses to AMC participants, are AMC-eligible but have not joined the AMC, have voluntarily delayed receipt of doses and communicated this intent ahead of allocation, or have not met financial requirements.

This list will be updated by the end of the week to provide indicative timelines for the supply of these doses, split into Feb-March and April-May. These timelines are dependent on a variety of factors including national regulatory requirements, availability of supply, and fulfilment of other criteria such as validated national deployment and vaccination plans (NDVPs) from AMC participants, indemnification & liability agreements, and export and import authorisations.

Deliveries for this round of allocations has already begun, with India, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire receiving doses of the SII/AZ vaccine. Both Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire began vaccination campaigns utilising these doses on Monday. Further deliveries are underway for this week, and as readiness criteria are fulfilled and doses become available, will continue on a rolling basis over the coming months.   

In addition to this first round of allocations, an exceptional distribution of 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, anticipated for delivery in Q1 2021, was announced in early February.

Further allocation rounds for vaccines in the COVAX portfolio will be announced in due course.

The list of first round allocations is available here.

Original article here.