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COVAX in Dire Need of Vaccines Now

VOA News

   COVAX, the international scheme for the equitable international
   distribution of COVID vaccines is running short of the shots. The
   shortfall is largely due to the Serum Institute of India which has not
   been able to meet its global commitments for the vaccine in several
   months due to an overwhelming domestic demand for the vaccine.

   UNICEF buys and delivers the COVAX vaccines. Henrietta Fiore, the
   executive director of the United Nation's children's agency, called on
   countries to not only fulfill their financial commitments to COVAX, but
   also to share their excess doses which she said, in a statement, are
   "needed right now."

   Fiore said data analysis has revealed that G-7 countries and European
   Union members "could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they
   shared just 20 percent of their available supply over June, July and
   August. Critically, they could do so while still meeting their
   commitments to vaccinate their own populations."
   FILE - Boxes of AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccines, redeployed
   from the Democratic Republic of Congo, arrive at a cold storage
   facility in Accra, Ghana, May 7, 2021.

   The UNICEF chief said COVAX "will deliver its 65 millionth dose in the
   coming days. It should have been at least its 170 millionth. By the
   time G-7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as a deadly second
   wave of COVID-19 will likely continue to sweep across India and many of
   its South Asian neighbors, the shortfall will near 190 million doses.

   India is bracing for CycloneTauktae, expected to hit the country's
   Western coast Monday evening.Thousands of people have been evacuated
   and COVID vaccination programs haveclosed downin some areas.India has
   reported hundreds of thousands of new COVID infections for weeks and
   there is fear that aspeopleseek shelter from the cyclone that the
   shelters will be the locations forsuperspreaderevents.The coronavirus
   is easily spread when people are inclose proximity.

   Officials of humanitarian aid groups arealsowarning that Israel's
   shelling of Gaza could result in the territory becoming a location for
   asuperspreaderevent as Gazans seek shelter inovercrowdedspacesfrom the
   airstrikes.COVID testing and vaccinations in Gaza have stopped because
   of the attacks.

   Disparity of access in US

   In the United States,the country's top infectious disease expert
   saidthe pandemichas exposed "theundeniable effects of
   racism"ascommunities of colorhad beenhit harderby the virus thantheir
   white counterparts.Anthony Faucisaidthat"COVID-19 has shone a bright
   light on our own society's failings,"onSunday during a commencement
   address for Atlanta's Emory University. His address highlights the
   issue of disparityaccess to health careinminority groupsacross the U.S.
   FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy
   and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education,
   Labor and Pensions Committee, May 11, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)

   A disproportionate amountof Black, Hispanic and Native
   Americanpeoplework in jobs classified as "essential," exposingthem to
   the coronavirus,Fauci said.In addition,these groups of people are more
   likelyto have underlying conditions--likediabetes,hypertension,
   obesity--which increase the likelihood that they will become ill,if
   exposed to the coronavirus.

   "Very few" of these conditions have racial determinants, Fauci said,
   but"almost all relate to the social determinants of health dating back
   to disadvantageous conditions that some people of color find themselves
   in from birth regarding the availability of an adequate diet, access to
   healthcare and the undeniable effects of racism in our society."

   Fauci called on the graduates to be part of the solution in
   correctingthe inequalitiesexposed by thepandemic.

   Japan

   InJapan,officials continue to move forward with plans for the Summer
   Olympics in Tokyothat were postponed last year, despiteexperiencing a
   surge in COVID cases.However, the results of anAsahi Shimbun survey,one
   of the five national newspapers in the country andpublished
   Monday,reveal that morethan 80%of Japanese are opposed to
   thegames.Forty-three percent want the games canceled 40% want them
   postponed again.Only 14% want to host the Olympics this summer.Medical
   experts and activists say the Olympics would divert much-needed medical
   resources from hospitals to the games.

   162,788,478 global COVID caseswere reported early Monday, according to
   date on the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.The U.S. has 32.9
   million infections. India has 24.7 million, while Brazil has 15.6
   million. India's Health Ministry said Monday that it had recorded
   281,386 new COVID cases in the previous 24-hour period, the lowest
   number of cases since April 15.

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