The COVAX facility has announced that the third phase of distribution of Covid-19 vaccine doses to participating countries will be taking place between April and June. Co-led by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVAX is the global initiative to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of their income level. Rwanda, just like a number of countries in Africa and other continents is a participant in COVAX, and the it is through the facility that it secured its first vaccine doses in March. In a statement posted on his twitter account, Seth Berkley, the CEO of GAVI said COVAX’s third phase will deliver 14.1 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to 47 countries, “Looking forward to seeing the third round of COVAX allocations reach the countries that need them. 14.1 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will be delivered to 47 COVAX Facility participants, from April to June 2021,” he wrote. COVAX did not specify which countries will be part of the 47 which will get vaccines in the third round. Berkely wrote that “further allocation rounds for vaccines in the COVAX portfolio will be announced in due course.” The COVAX initiative looks to assist participants to get enough doses to vaccinate up to 20 per cent of their population in the longer term.
