WHO says Africa urgently needs 20 million second vaccine doses within six weeks

WHO: Africa in 'urgent need' of 20 million second vaccine doses within six weeks The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa called on Thursday for at least 20 million second COVID-19 vaccine doses to be sent to the continent within six weeks, saying people Justine Coleman TheHill

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa called on Thursday for at least 20 million second COVID-19 vaccine doses to be sent to the continent within six weeks, saying people are in “urgent need.”

The regional office’s request for millions of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shots comes as African officials are struggling to collect enough doses to give people their second shots within the eight to 12 week period after the first dose. 

One dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provides the recipient with about 70 percent protection from COVID-19 for at least 12 weeks. But data beyond 12 weeks for a single dose is currently “limited.” 

WHO’s regional office also requested an additional 200 million doses of any WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine to help the country achieve the WHO director-general’s goal of vaccinating 10 percent of its population by September. 

WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said that it’s “too soon” to predict whether Africa is entering a third wave. 

“As supplies dry up, dose-sharing is an urgent, critical and short-term solution to ensuring that Africans at the greatest risk of COVID-19 get the much-needed protection,” Moeti said. “Africa needs vaccines now. Any pause in our vaccination campaigns will lead to lost lives and lost hope.”

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus set the target of having every country reach vaccinating 10 percent of its population by September and at least 30 percent by the end of 2021 earlier this week.  ...

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