The World Health Organization denounced that third dose vaccination in more developed countries threatens coronavirus vaccination campaign in Africa is that accumulate is a “joke” for the purposes of global and equitable access to immunization. Much of the continent faces a third wave produced by the Delta variant.
“Just as our efforts seem to be taking off, Africa is encountering headwinds. Movements by some countries around the world to introduce booster doses threaten the promise of a better tomorrow for Africa,” lamented WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, at a press conference.
For Moeti, “By hoarding vaccines, some rich countries frankly scoff at vaccine equality”.
Covid Vaccine in Africa
Until now just 1.85 percent of the entire population on the continent -which reaches 1,200 million people- have the complete vaccination schedule, after a slow start to the immunization campaign.
Still, African health officials have been bullish in recent weeks about a change in pace since early August, thanks to a increase in vaccine reception with cargoes acquired collectively by the African Union and also from the Covax platform, provided by WHO.
Therefore, if there are no setbacks, Moeti stated that the goal of vaccinating at least 30 percent of the African population by the end of this year is “still within reach”.
Although, this number is lower than in other regions like Europe or the United States, where they have more than half of the population vaccinated with two doses and have already started to give a boost to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.
the third doses
The US government announced this week that it will apply a third dose starting in September.Although the decision has not yet been approved by the US Federal Drug and Drug Administration (FDA), it will be issued in the next few days.
Countries like Israel, France and even Chile have already started to inoculate their population with a third dose. This Monday, Uruguay joined the list of countries in Latin America that apply a booster dose, but only for those who had the complete regimen with the Coronavac vaccine, which is less effective than other preparations.
Moeti said he hopes that “hopefully” these extra doses will not come out of the stock that developed countries have promised to donate. The WHO representative admitted to being concerned about the negative impact that a new wave of demand could have on the supply of the most vulnerable nations.
“While limited access to vaccines remains in Africa, we share the global risk of generating more variants that could undo the benefits of booster doses,” he recalled.
Johnson & Johnson vaccines that left South Africa
The WHO regional director for Africa, however, away from the controversy generated in recent weeks by the export of a South African factory – which maintains an agreement with the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and that it is fundamental for the continental supply – of doses to developed countries, as long as it is understood that they are part of previous agreements with the vaccine producer.
However, Moeti called local vaccine manufacturing key to Africa’s pandemic efforts and again he praised the efforts already made in this regard by countries like Egypt or South Africa itself.
To date, Africa has accumulated just over 7.3 million covid-19 cases with 186,367 deaths.
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