Amid Delta surge, PAHO to increase vaccine access in the Americas

More than 1.3 million COVID-19 cases and 19,000 deaths were reported in the Americas during the past week, PAHO says.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is preparing to increase COVID-19 vaccine availability for member countries as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads through the region. PAHO’s “Revolving Fund” is receiving requests from regional countries for vaccines for the last three months of 2021 and 2022, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne on Wednesday. More than 20 countries have formally expressed interest. “This new initiative will make available tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses beyond the 20 percent that COVAX offers, and it will complement bilateral deals and other existing avenues for countries to access vaccines,” Etienne said in a virtual news conference.