Covid vaccine: Prioritise COVAX, UNICEF official raises pitch for global support

Prioritising COVAX – a global initiative for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines --- generous partners and funding is the need of the hour, said an official from United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“We need help. We need vaccine manufacturers to prioritise COVAX and work to secure regulatory approvals for fast, fair, and affordable distribution (of vaccines). We need wealthier nations to donate extra doses to COVAX. We require funding. An urgent investment of $510 million is required to support vaccine delivery around the world,” said Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF, on Monday at the World Immunisation and Logistics Summit being held in Abu Dhabi.

Henrietta said the summit is a golden opportunity to draw attention to the need for partnerships in the fight against the pandemic.

“With partners like the UAE, the COVAX facility is supporting more than 100 counties to vaccinate their populations and providing critical supplies like testing kits, protective clothing, and food. The only way out of this pandemic is to ensure that every country is vaccinated, and the less wealthy countries are not left behind,” she said.

UNICEF, along with different partners, is working on providing equitable access to up to two billion doses of the vaccines by the end of the year.

“The time is now. Let us meet this moment together and let us make sure that the light at the end of the tunnel truly shines for every country, every community, every family, and every child,” she added.