On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that a large number of emerging countries had suspended vaccinations due to a shortage of vaccine doses. This deficit means that those who have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will have to wait a long time to receive the second dose.
“A large number of member countries have suspended the second dose of the vaccine,” said Bruce Aylard, head of the international coax scheme at Hu, which is responsible for delivering the vaccine to emerging countries.
“If I remember correctly, vaccination is being suspended in 30 or 40 countries. The goal was to give a second dose of the estrogen vaccine in those countries, but they are not able to do so,” he said. Hu’s experts say the crisis has hit the Indian subcontinent, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The situation is likely to intensify in neighbouring Nepal and Sri Lanka, and a new wave of epidemics could intensify.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) is the leading supplier of the AstraZeneca vaccine dose for Kovax. Still, the situation has arisen due to the tightening of vaccine exports to India due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We are working with SII and the Government of India, along with AstraZeneca, to resume shipments of the vaccine on an emergency basis,” Aylard said.
