COVID-19 – Over 11 billion doses needed to vaccinate 70 of global population

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – U.N.’s Secretary General António Guterres has said more than 11 billion doses are needed to vaccinate 70 percent of the world’s population to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was conveyed at the first international forum on cooperation in the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday (Aug. 5).

Guterres welcomed the agreement signed last month with the UN-led fair vaccine distribution initiative and COVAX, which aims to provide China-developed Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.

The deal unlocks a potential supply of more than 500 million doses of the vaccine.

“This will take the largest public health effort in history,” the secretary-general spelled out.

Guterres underlined that the world needs a Global Vaccine Plan to at least double the vaccine production and ensure fair distribution, using COVAX as a platform.

“We also need an Emergency Task Force at the G20 level to coordinate its implementation,” he said.

To double the manufacturing capacity, a much greater sharing of technology and know-how will be needed.

It will also require strengthening and building local production capacities around the world and addressing supply chain bottlenecks, according to the UN chief.

The top UN official described the first meeting of the International Vaccine Forum as “a critical opportunity to bring together countries with vaccine production capacities, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers to advance global cooperation on vaccines”.

Reporting by Indonesia Window