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PAHO Answering the Call for More Vaccine Doses

By: , August 12, 2021
PAHO Answering the Call for More Vaccine Doses
Photo: Contributed - © PAHO/WHO
Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Carissa F. Etienne. (Photo © PAHO/WHO)
PAHO Answering the Call for More Vaccine Doses
Photo: © PAHO/WHO
Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. (Photo © PAHO/WHO)

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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has embarked on a new initiative to bolster the provision of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to member countries.

The undertaking, being piloted through PAHO’s Revolving Fund Facility, aims to augment supplies being provided through existing arrangements where these are deemed inadequate.

These include: the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility that targets the provision of doses of up to 20 per cent of the populations of member countries joining the platform, bilateral arrangements between regional states and manufacturers, and donations.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (August 11), Director, Dr. Casrissa Etienne, said the requests are for the provision of doses covering the last quarter of 2021, from October to December, and the entire 2022 calendar year.

She pointed out that 20 countries have already formally expressed interest in tapping into the arrangement, while adding that “the number is growing by the day”.

Dr. Etienne said based on the limited supplies available to several member countries, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, “we need a significant influx of [additional] vaccines and a more equitable process for distributing them”.

The Director emphasised that this is imperative to achieve PAHO’s goal of procuring enough doses to enable countries to attain 70-80 per cent vaccination coverage of their populations.

Dr. Etienne said while existing vaccine acquisition arrangements remained critical, “we also need to create new opportunities that meet the diverse needs of our states, and increase the supply to people in communities who are at greatest risk [of infection and death].

“This new initiative will make available tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccines doses beyond the 20 per cent that COVAX offers, and it will complement bilateral deals and other existing avenues for countries to access vaccines,” she assured.

Meanwhile, PAHO Assistant Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, said the entity has commenced negotiations with several vaccine manufacturers to provide supplies.

“The expectation is to start sending the vaccines that they requested as of October.  So once we have the precise date(s) and quantities, we will be informing the countries,” he said.

Last Updated: August 12, 2021