Tajikistan expected to receive 732,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab

Starting from February 3, countries engaging in ground-breaking COVID-19 vaccine initiative (COVAX) may get acquainted with the interim distribution forecast, which was published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners in accordance with the COVAX program.  

In accordance with the COVAX program, the vaccine will be provided to 92 Low and middle income countries and Tajikistan is expected to receive 732,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab.

According to the UN News Center, key workers and other vulnerable people in 145 countries should receive COVID-19 vaccines in the first half of this year. 

UN Children’s Fund UNICEF – which plays a key role in immunization campaigns worldwide - welcomed the development, describing COVAX as the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation ever mounted.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore notes that their 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).  According to her, many of the doses will go to health workers in urban areas who are at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 infections.

Some 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are to be delivered to 18 countries in the first quarter of the year, out of an agreed total of 40 million.

An additional 336 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab are to be lined up for dispatch to nearly all countries that have signed up to the COVAX scheme, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – once it has been approved for use by the UN health agency.

The total number of doses will cover, on average, 3.3 per cent of the population of the countries benefiting from the scheme.

This will make it possible for governments to protect their most vulnerable citizens - such as front-line health care workers.

Ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, UNICEF chief Ms. Fore noted that the agency had been getting ready by stockpiling half a billion syringes and working with airlines, governments and other partners to iron out potential supply hiccups.

In a related development on Wednesday, Ms. Fore also announced the signing of a deal securing 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for around 100 countries.

The agreement with the Serum Institute of India is for the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and the Novavax vaccine, both of which have yet to receive Emergency Use Listing by the WHO.

Low and middle income countries will pay approximately US$3 per dose, Ms. Fore said.