But Europe's vaccine rollout faced fresh woes after AstraZeneca
said it would only be able to deliver half its promised doses to the EU,
deepening ongoing tensions with the bloc over supply shortfalls.
More than 217 million vaccine doses have been administered
globally, according to an AFP tally Wednesday, though the vast majority have
been given in high-income countries.
Hopes are high that the inoculations will allow the world to
finally emerge from a pandemic that has killed more than 2.4 million, infected
112 million, and hammered the global economy.
But health experts have warned that unless the whole world
has access to vaccines, the pandemic will not end.
The head of the World Health Organization applauded the
first delivery of the Covax vaccines Wednesday with an enthusiastic tweet.
"At last!" posted WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus.
"A day to celebrate, but it's just the first
step."
The WHO is one of several organisations behind Covax, which
aims to deliver at least two billion doses globally by the end of the year.
The 600,000 doses delivered to Ghana in a ceremony broadcast
live on television are from Oxford/AstraZeneca, and will be administered in
several Ghanaian cities from Tuesday.
They are part of an initial tranche of deliveries headed to
several low and middle-income countries, including to Ivory Coast this week.
Covax, led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and the
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is seeking to ensure
vaccines are equitably distributed globally.
So far, Israel, the United States and Britain are leading in
vaccine rollouts, while many poor countries have yet to receive a single jab.
'Menacing' third wave
But as the watershed delivery was celebrated in Ghana, there
was more bad news for Brussels over its scramble to secure coronavirus vaccines
for the European Union.
AstraZeneca said Tuesday its EU supply chains would only be
able to deliver half of an expected order of 180 million doses, but assured it
would fill the gap by using its international network.
It is the latest setback for the bloc which has come under
fire for its sluggish vaccine rollout.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen was locked in a war of words
with AstraZeneca earlier this year after accusing the British-Swedish firm of
breaking a contract by delaying vaccine deliveries.
But she struck a more affable tone Wednesday, saying she was
"optimistic" about the rollout.
"New questions are always arising that we can generally
resolve amicably," she told a German newspaper, in comments published
Wednesday.
Elsewhere on the continent, Hungary forged ahead with its
own campaign, administering Chinese-made Sinopharm jabs in a first for the EU.
The country has criticised Brussels for its procurement
problems and turned not only to China but also to Russia to secure jabs.
This month it also became the first EU nation to administer
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, in a bid to beat back rising infections and deaths.
"A third wave of the virus is menacing Hungary,"
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said as he announced the Chinese vaccine rollout.
Ukraine also celebrated a landmark Wednesday, giving a
doctor the country's first Covid shot after a slow start of its own that
sparked widespread anger.
Meanwhile in France, which has faced global embarrassment
over its stuttering vaccination campaign rollout, the government said new
regional restrictions could be imposed amid "a worsening situation".
"Rapid and strong measures" are needed to combat
spiralling infections in some French regions, government spokesman Gabriel
Attal said, refusing to rule out another national lockdown.
"I am here with my whole family for this historic
moment. We have taken precautions for coronavirus by wearing mask. I hope India
win," said an "excited" Tarun Parmar, ahead of a Test match
against England.
0 comments:
Post a Comment