(Washington) U.S. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced an agreement to facilitate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to war zones, so far largely out of immunization campaigns.
In a virtual meeting he chaired with his counterparts around the world, he explained that the United States had “contributed” to this agreement with Covax, the international mechanism supposed to allow the most disadvantaged countries to receive free grants. vaccines funded by more prosperous states.
Concretely, the agreement must “facilitate the first delivery of Johnson & Johnson vaccines”, which have the advantage of being single-dose and of being easy to transport and store, “to people living in conflict zones” or in plagued by humanitarian crises, he added.
“We look forward to seeing these people in difficult situations being protected from COVID-19 as soon as possible. We know that this fight is urgent, ”insisted Antony Blinken.
The Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), which co-manages Covax, clarified that the United States had favored an agreement to lift, in this specific case, the clauses imposed elsewhere by the laboratories on the States so that they take charge of any compensation related to possible vaccination incidents.
These clauses are lifted “for humanitarian agencies”, “which will facilitate the delivery of J & J vaccines” in these areas “which cannot be reached by government vaccination campaigns,” said a spokesperson for GAVI. .
He called on all laboratories to follow the example of Johnson & Johnson and the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac by lifting these clauses “for humanitarian agencies providing doses to these populations”.
Washington and GAVI did not immediately disclose how many doses would be distributed under this agreement, or to which countries and when.
Antony Blinken recalled in his speech that most of the vaccines inoculated for the moment had been in rich countries, while the poorest, and in particular sub-Saharan Africa, still recorded only immunization rates. very weak.