Over 155 Million Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines Delivered To PAHO Countries
By: , March 24, 2021
Photo: Contributed - © PAHO/WHO
Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Carissa F. Etienne. (Photo © PAHO/WHO)The Full Story
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says more than 155 million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines have, so far, been delivered to member countries.
The amount includes 2.1 million doses procured through the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility.
Dr. Etienne was speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Tuesday (March 23).
She said that consequent on negotiations with COVAX partners, PAHO has ensured that 21 regional countries participating in the facility will receive their first deployment of vaccines by the end of this week.
These include Jamaica, which received an initial 14,400 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine last week.
“We expect over 100,000 doses to be delivered this week, to [several countries, while] 1.2 million additional doses have already been procured. In early April, all countries in our region will be able to receive their first deployment of vaccines. This is good news,” the PAHO Director said.
Dr. Etienne cautioned, however, that although the scale-up in vaccine delivery has begun, supplies remain limited.
She noted that the amounts deployed represent, in most cases, a small percentage of countries’ populations, adding that “we do not yet have the vaccines we need to protect everyone”.
She pointed out that the doses already delivered are helping countries to start protecting health workers and other vulnerable persons, adding that “we expect more doses to arrive every week”.
“So despite some progress, our region has been and remains the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many countries reporting high mortality,” she pointed out.
Noting that vaccines “are our way out of the pandemic”, Dr. Etienne said this will only be realised with equitable access to doses that cover more than 70 per cent of adult populations.
The Director emphasised the need for regional countries to work together and explore different mechanisms to expand the pool of vaccines available.
“We are also hearing that acceptance of the COVID vaccine has been high, which is very good news. These WHO-approved vaccines are safe, and they work. When it’s your turn, don’t hesitate. Get vaccinated,” Dr. Etienne said.