According to the Kenyan News Website The Standard, Kenya has applied for 24 million free doses through Covax and it may receive 1.4 million doses by June 2021 and the rest in the second half of 2021. Kenya has also ordered 12 million doses that will be paid for, which will be delivered in 2022.
Covax is an initiative supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi to help poor and/or developing countries gain access to COVID-19 vaccine.
Serum Institute of India (SII) has signed a deal with Gavi to manufacture up to 100 million doses of two different vaccines from AstraZeneca and US biotech company Novavax. AstraZeneca has contacted SII to make 1 billion doses of the vaccine for poor and developing nations.
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved in India and UK for emergency use.
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla has said it will prioritise India, where the government plans to inoculate 300 million people by mid-2021. The Indian government has currently not permitted SII to export vaccines against the Coronavirus, Poonawalla further added.
SII will play a crucial role in the supply of vaccine all over the country.
