COVAX: ensuring global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines
UNICEF will lead efforts to procure and supply doses of COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the global COVAX Facility.
UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines in what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest ever procurement and supply of vaccines, in collaboration with the PAHO Revolving Fund and as part of the global vaccine plan of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility), led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
As the largest single vaccine buyer in the world, UNICEF procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries. It is the main procurement partner of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which over the last 20 years has reached more than more than 760 million children with life-saving vaccines, preventing more than 13 million deaths.
UNICEF will work with manufacturers and partners on the procurement of vaccine doses as well as freight, logistics and storage of COVID-19 vaccines for 92 low- and lower middle-income countries, whose vaccine purchases will be supported by the mechanism through the Gavi COVAX. UNICEF will also serve as procurement coordinator to support procurement by 80 higher-income economies, which have expressed their intent to participate in the COVAX Facility and would finance the vaccines from their own public finance budgets.
“This is an all-hands on deck partnership between governments, manufacturers and multilateral partners to continue the high-stakes fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In our collective pursuit of a vaccine, UNICEF is leveraging its unique strengths in vaccine supply to make sure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to the initial doses when they are available.”
COVAX partners
