MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th October, 2020) Lebanon and Botswana have joined the World Health Organization's COVAX initiative for the equitable global distribution of prospective COVID-19 vaccines, bringing the total number of participating states to 186, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday.
"There is light at the end of the tunnel. As well as rapid tests and dexamethasone, several vaccines are now in the final phase three trials. If proved safe and effective, they will be rolled out through the ACT Accelator's vaccine arm, the COVAX facility, which is now supported by 186 countries. I thank Lebanon and Botswana for joining recently," Tedros told a virtual press briefing.
COVAX is co-led by the UN health agency, Gavi vaccine alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. It is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator under the WHO auspices to bring together vaccine developers from different countries with the common goal of producing a safe COVID-19 vaccine.
