By Haruna Gimba
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it was ready to transport up to 850 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines per month in 2021, more than twice its usual payload of vaccines.
It revealed that most of the vaccine could be sent using existing commercial flights, but alternative options and charter flights would also be considered where necessary.
Executive Director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, who made the disclosure, said it is a mammoth and historic undertaking,”
“The scale of the task is daunting, and the stakes have never been higher, but we are ready to take this on.”
With support of from the global vaccine alliance Gavi, UNICEF is procuring and supporting installation of 70,000 cold-chain fridges in lower income countries by the end of 2021, which will help in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines that need to be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
According to the UNICEF almost half of the fridges will be solar powered.
“It was important to understand that vaccines would complement, and not replace, the existing tools for slowing transmission of the virus and saving lives, WHO DG, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
But vaccines were the key to stopping the disease, and as soon as the pandemic began, there was a risk that low-income countries would miss out on vaccines, which is why COVAX was formed, Tedros said.
COVAX is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT Accelerator), a comprehensive plan to defeat the virus using diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Gavi, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, civil society organisations and others.
