PAHO says it is buying more COVID vaccines for Americas
Al Jazeera
WHO’s Americas branch says it is in ‘advanced’ talks with vaccine manufacturers to buy additional doses.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has said it is pushing to secure additional COVID-19 vaccines for residents of the Americas amid huge discrepancies in vaccination rates between countries in the region.
PAHO, the Americas branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac to buy 8.5 million vaccine doses for 2021 and another 80 million doses next year.
PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said vaccine donations, including through the United Nations-backed COVAX programme, are the “fastest way” to support countries in the region, but the organisation is also relying on purchases to bolster supply.
