Global officials urge rich countries to donate excess COVID-19 vaccine doses, money

GENEVA/NEW YORK: Top U.N., financial and vaccine officials on Thursday urged rich countries to donate excess COVID-19 vaccine doses to an international effort to supply low and middle income countries in a bid to get the global economy back on track.

At a virtual event by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance to boost support for the COVAX equitable vaccine sharing initiative, the officials also appealed for another $2 billion by June for the program, which is aiming to buy up to 1.8 billion doses in 2021. So far, COVAX has shipped more than 38 million vaccine doses to 111 countries. "Global supply is incredibly tight right now. But we also know that many high income countries have ordered more vaccines than they need," said Gavi Chief Executive Seth Berkley.