When many nations in the West started to launch their vaccination campaigns for the COVID-19 disease, poorer countries expressed their many worries about their actions. Britons, Canadians, and Americans’ actions set out to make things for poorer nations very challenging. These nations started buying up all the global vaccine supply as they have a higher purchasing power.
Limited COVID-19 Vaccines for COVAX
With vaccine supplies being limited, the West’s rich nations made it hard for the COVAX Initiative to secure vaccines. Poorer nations with fewer funds depended on the COVAX initiative to acquire any coronavirus vaccines. The World Health Organization, vaccine alliance CEPI, and a global coalition to fight epidemics GAVI started the COVAX initiative. The organizations launched the initiative and tasked it with the circulation of vaccines equally amongst less-developed nations. The COVAX initiative would prevent an international stampede for when the medications would be available. But with wealthier countries clearing up the supply, many poorer nations that signed up for the COVAX initiative started were left stranded.
Fear started spreading amongst poorer nations as they saw the COVAX initiative couldn’t accomplish its goal. Some nations criticized the Western nations for purchasing all the global vaccines leaving poorer nations struggling with the COVAX initiative. Canada, for instance, purchased vaccines in excess of its entire population while other nations lacked treatment. Some officials in less developed countries urged the countries in the West to allow COVAX to acquire vaccines. They argued that if poorer nations didn’t get vaccines, then reservoirs of the coronavirus would be created in their nations, and it could spark new outbreaks at any time.
Other less developed countries decided to abandon the COVAX initiative entirely when they realized COVAX couldn’t deliver. Palau, for instance, pulled out of the deal with the initiative and decided to secure vaccines from the United States on its own. Other nations like Malaysia and Peru, on the other hand, chose to stick with the initiative but strike other deals to acquire vaccines as a Plan B.
The COVAX initiative starts delivering Vaccines.
But even with the many doubts, it seems the COVAX initiative is persistent in achieving its intended goal. Nations that chose to abandon the initiative are dumbstruck as COVAX started making deliveries. COVAX has delivered the AstraZeneca vaccine to different nations like Kenya, Senegal, Lesotho, and Rwanda. This week the initiative focused on delivering the first batch of the vaccine to Rwanda. Rwanda said it expects to begin giving shots of the vaccine by Friday for the country’s vulnerable citizens.
Rwanda received 240,000 free doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX initiative for 12 million people. According to Rwanda’s Health Minister Daniel Ngamije, the vaccines received would target at least 171,480 people. People identified as a priority risk group, those above 65, frontline workers, and people with underlying health conditions would receive two doses of the vaccine for full protection.
When the pandemic began, Rwanda responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with determination. The country looked to suppress the spread of the virus and save lives. But even with these efforts, the country has recorded 19,111 cases and 265 deaths this month. To stop even more infections, Rwanda seeks to vaccinate 30% of its population this year and 60% by the end of 2022.
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