The global vaccination initiative COVAX has rolled out detailed plans to distribute vaccines to 145 participants in the first half of 2021.
Zoom in: Canada, which has bought more doses per capita than any other country, has nevertheless chosen to take 1.9 million doses of COVAX.
The big picture: COVAX is the only global mechanism for vaccine distribution and covers almost every country on Earth, with richer countries subsidizing access for poorer countries.
- The early stages include 336 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as a much smaller volume of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
- COVAX aims to have at least 20% of the population in each country vaccinated by the end of 2021.
Each participant has the right to claim doses, but most wealthy countries that have gained access through bilateral agreements have chosen not to, at least in the first wave.
- As Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, told reporters on Wednesday, “Does it help countries with many bilateral deals not to take doses? Of course it helps because that means more doses are available to others.”
- While several other wealthy countries (Monaco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore) claim COVAX doses, Canada is the only G7 country on the list.
What they say: “COVAX has always been part of the Canadian government’s procurement strategy,” Minister of International Development Karina Gould told CTV, adding that the government’s top priority is ensuring that Canadians have access.
The state of affairs: While Canada has purchased about 200 million doses for its population of 38 million people, it has administered only one million.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under great pressure over repeated delivery delays, partly due to a lack of domestic production capacity.
- The other side: Many countries have yet to administer a single dose and will not do so until they start receiving supplies of COVAX.
What to watch: Trudeau has previously committed to donating excess doses to COVAX, but has not said whether Canada will do so until it fully covers its own domestic needs.
Worth nothing: North Korea, which has cut itself off from the world even more during the pandemic and claims to be COVID-free, also expects doses of COVAX.
Go deeper: The global line for coronavirus vaccines dates back to 2023.