WHO's vaccine plan may fail: internal documents

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4 年前

Some poorer countries may not see the COVID-19 vaccine until 2024.

That's according to internal documents seen by Reuters.

They show the WHO's global scheme to deliver the vaccines faces a "very high" risk of failure.

Potentially leaving nations home to billions of people vulnerable to the virus.

The World Health Organization's COVAX program is the main global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle income countries around the world.

It aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20% of the most vulnerable people in 91 countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

But internal documents show the scheme's promoters say the program is struggling from a lack of funds, supply risks and complex contractual arrangements.

All of these could make it impossible to achieve their goals.

The report says the risk of failure is higher because the scheme was set up so quickly, operating in quote "uncharted territory."

The WHO did not respond to a request for comment.