PAHO to source COVID-19 vaccines amid regional shortage

Taking action to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccines, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has taken a decision to use its Revolving Fund to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean procure enough vaccines to control transmission of the virus.

This was announced by PAHO Director Dr Carissa F Etienne at a media briefing, where she noted that this initiative will provide countries with the opportunity to access vaccines beyond the 20 per cent which is offered under the COVAX mechanism.
“The region is still short of the doses needed to turn the tide of the pandemic…We need a significant influx of vaccines and a more equitable process for distributing them. With this in mind, PAHO is offering our Member States a new opportunity to access COVID-19 vaccines.”
The Revolving Fund, which has procured other vaccines for the region at low prices for 42 years, is already receiving requests from countries for COVID-19 vaccines for the last three months of 2021 and for 2022,

Dr. Etienne added.
“So far, more than 20 countries have formally expressed interest, and the number is growing by the day,” she said.
Up until now, the Revolving Fund has served as one of the COVAX purchasing mechanisms, and has worked directly with countries requesting support to deliver donations through bilateral agreements. It has deployed over 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Latin American and Caribbean countries procured through COVAX.
“Our region needs to pursue all possible avenues to expedite access and ensure countries reach their vaccination goals. We still need more donations, and we still need COVAX to deliver on its original commitment. We also need to create new opportunities, that meet the diverse needs of our Member States and that increase the supply of vaccines to the people and communities at greatest risk,” she detailed.
The Revolving Fund initiative “will benefit every country in the region, but especially those that lack the resources and negotiating power to secure the doses necessary to protect their people.” It also consolidates regional demand, so that vaccines can be procured in bulk. It also procures syringes, cold-chain equipment, and other supplies.
Dr Etienne drew attention to the Revolving Fund’s pivotal role in the history of strong immunisation in Latin America and the Caribbean, where countries have enjoyed high rates of vaccine coverage.
She addressed the pandemic’s continuing toll on the Americas, where more than 1.3 million COVID-19 cases and more than 19,000 deaths were reported over the past week. Cases and deaths continue to rise in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In Central America, cases are decreasing in Panama and Costa Rica, but increasing in Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador. In the Caribbean, cases are rising in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, the Bahamas, and Dominica. Over the past month, infections increased 30-fold in Martinique, and there has been a significant spike in hospitalisations.
In South America, the news is better, she said. Cases and deaths are declining in the Andean region and Brazil, and across the Southern Cone. This includes substantial decreases in cases in Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.