Global COVID-19 Vaccine Toolbox To Add More Shots In Q2 2021 - GAVI

COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine sharing mechanism, will add more shots to its portfolio from April-June of this year, the CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, one of the organizations behind the initiative, announced Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine sharing mechanism, will add more shots to its portfolio from April-June of this year, the CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, one of the organizations behind the initiative, announced Monday.

The AstraZeneca vaccine accounts for the largest share of COVAX's supply due to it having a lower cost that those of Pfizer or Moderna. The Swedish-UK vaccine also has a lower stated efficacy.

"AstraZeneca was really the first vaccine. Of course, we also have a small amount of doses of the Pfizer vaccine now as well .

.. but the idea was to try to get a very large portfolio of products and we have done that. So, we will be seeing other vaccines enter the portfolio and be available for participants of COVAX in the second quarter [of 2021]," he said at a WHO press briefing.

AstraZeneca received another blow after a study showed that the vaccine offered only a limited protection against mild cases of infection with the faster-spreading strain related to South Africa. The caveat is that research was conducted among a small group of younger, healthier adults.