GENEVA – The Covax vaccine-sharing scheme will add any coronavirus shot to its toolbox as long as it has been approved by the World Health Organisation or a national drug regulator, the Gavi vaccine alliance told Sputnik yesterday.
“Covax will consider procuring vaccines that complement the portfolio from any producer in the world, once they have received approval from a stringent regulatory authority and/or prequalification by the WHO,” the Geneva-based alliance said.
It added that Covax is continuing to negotiate with other suppliers and expects to announce further advance purchases shortly.
Gavi signed two advance purchase deals with US pharma companies Moderna and Novavax in May for a total of 850 million doses due to arrive this and next year.
Konstantin Chernov, the head of the Chumakov Centre, said yesterday that the Russian research facility has offered its inactivated virus-based CoviVac shot to Covax. It plans to apply for prequalification this fall once the third stage of clinical trials is cleared.
The Covax facility has been established to even out the playing field by providing access to diagnostics, treatment and vaccines against the disease to low- and middle-income countries. Covax aims to ship close to two billion doses of vaccines by year-end in an unprecedented global effort to guarantee access to vaccines for all. – Bernama, June 25, 2021
