NEWS: COVAX FACILITY TO SLASH COVID-19 VACCINE DELIVERIES TO AFRICA.... WHO

The World Health Organization Africa Department warned on Thursday morning that as the COVAX Facility is forced to slash planned COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to Africa by around 150 million this year, the continent faces almost 500 million doses short of the global year-end target of fully vaccinating 40% of its population. 

This shortfall comes as Africa tops 8 million COVID-19 cases this week. With the cutback COVAX is now expected to deliver 470 million doses to Africa this year. 

These will be enough to vaccinate just 17% of the population, far below the 40% target. An additional 470 million doses are needed to reach the end-year target even if all planned shipments via COVAX, a multilateral initiative aimed at guaranteeing global access to lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, and the African Union are delivered. And that is our top story today.

Source:

Simon Ateba, Publisher and White House Correspondent for Today News Africa in Washington D.C.