The COVAX program to speed and equitably deliver COVID-19 vaccine to low- and middle-income countries has enough vaccine supplies, but demand for shots is low and some countries are struggling to launch campaigns, a situation that requires urgent action, the group said today.The call to close the vaccine gap, which has a goal of protecting 70% of populations in 91 lower-income nations, comes as many parts of the world battle growing waves from more transmissible Omicron subvariants.Help for coordinating programs, improving demandThough the COVAX program has made historic progress, the immunization gap is costing lives and is prolonging the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today.
The program has shipped more than 1.3 billion vaccine doses to 87 countries, with about 46% of the population fully vaccinated.Some countries are success stories, having topped the goal of protecting 70% of their population.
Examples are Bhutan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Maldives, Fiji, and Bangladesh. Only 16% of people in low-income countries overall, however, have received a single dose.COVAX pressed countries to set ambitious targets and prioritize full vaccine coverage for risk groups and for partner organizations to help coordinate national strategies, overcome operational bottlenecks, and to help boost demand.US upward track continuesThe United States is among the countries experiencing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases, and the 7-day average for new daily cases today rose to 105,101, according to an analysis from the New York Times.
The number is up from the 7-day average of 103,231 that the Times reported yesterday.Health officials have said the number of daily cases underestimates the true burden due to the widespread use