The aim of Wednesday’s announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, is to help Governments to prepare their vaccine distribution programmes, by providing details about which vaccine they can expect to receive, between now and the end of June.
UN Children’s Fund UNICEF – which plays a key role in immunisation campaigns worldwide – welcomed the development, describing COVAX as the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation ever mounted.
Get it right
“We must get this right”, said Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Our country offices will support governments as they move forward with this first wave to ensure that they are ready to receive the vaccines that require ultra-cold chain (storage).
“This includes ensuring that health workers are fully trained in how to store and handle the vaccines…Many of these doses will go to health workers in urban areas who are at the highest risk of