By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Switzerland has become the first
country to swap places in the supply queue for COVID-19
vaccines, allowing 1 million doses of the Moderna shot
to go first to the COVAX dose-sharing programme, the GAVI
vaccine alliance said on Wednesday.
GAVI, which leads COVAX's procurement and delivery of
supplies to low and middle income countries, called for other
governments to "slot-swap" and work with manufacturers to ensure
COVAX purchase agreements can be fulfilled as a priority.
"Through this collaboration, 1 million doses of the Moderna
vaccine originally planned to be delivered to Switzerland will
instead be made available to COVAX in Q4 2021. Switzerland will
then take COVAX’s place in the queue, and receive these doses
later in 2022," the Geneva-based GAVI said in a statement.
Switzerland's voluntary vaccination campaign has stalled,
with just over 65% of the population fully vaccinated.
COVAX, which is also backed by the World Health Organization
(WHO), has delivered some 507 million doses to 144 countries
since February.
But its pipeline was stymied for much of the year after
India halted vaccine exports in mid-April due to its own severe
epidemic. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's
biggest vaccine maker which produces a licensed version of the
AstraZeneca shot known as Covishield, was COVAX's main
supplier.
The resumption of India supplying COVID-19 vaccines to the
COVAX platform after eight months was delayed on Monday when
Nepal requested a postponement, two sources told Reuters.
"Despite initial supply setbacks, deliveries continue to
accelerate steadily and will continue to do so through the end
of the year and into 2022," GAVI said, without giving details.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay
Editing by Mark Potter)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
