WHO SOUNDS ALARM ON VACCINE SHORTAGE IN POOR COUNTRIES

A large number of poorer countries receiving vaccines through a global sharing scheme did not have enough doses to continue programmes, the World Health Organization (WHO) added.

Eyewitness News 

CAPE TOWN - Some poorer countries were running out of coronavirus vaccines.

This was the warning from the World Health Organization (WHO).

A large number of poorer countries receiving vaccines through a global sharing scheme did not have enough doses to continue programmes, the WHO added.

The Covax programme has delivered 90 million doses to 131 countries.

Vaccine inequity has demonstrated that in a crisis, low-income countries cant rely on vaccine-producing countries to supply their needs.

But senior advisor to the organisation, Dr Bruce Aylward, said this was nowhere near enough to protect populations from the virus which was still running rampant worldwide.

President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an end to vaccine hoarding by wealthier countries.

Ramaphosa said that across Africa, only 40 million doses had been administered so far - less than 2% of the continent's population.