Summit secures additional $2.4 bln for COVID shots for poor countries

GENEVA/ZURICH: Countries and private donors pledged nearly $2.4 billion on Wednesday to the COVAX vaccine-sharing plan, expanding efforts to make COVID-19 shots more available to people in poorer nations.

The announcements, ranging from $2,500 from island nation Mauritius to millions of dollars and doses from wealthier countries, came during a video summit hosted by Japan and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, which leads the COVAX facility alongside the World Health Organization. The funds will allow COVAX to secure 1.8 billion fully subsidised doses for delivery to lower-income countries in 2021 and early 2022, enough to protect 30% of adults in those nations, GAVI said in a statement.