On Wednesday, United Nations officials said the COVAX initiative to bring vaccines to poor and middle-income nations was falling further behind its initial target of 2 billion doses this year.  COVAX is now projecting about 1.4 billion doses delivered through December.

United Nations, September 9 (RHC)-- On Wednesday, United Nations officials said the COVAX initiative to bring vaccines to poor and middle-income nations was falling further behind its initial target of 2 billion doses this year.  COVAX is now projecting about 1.4 billion doses delivered through December.

Meanwhile, vaccine equity activists are cheering moves by Australia’s government to support a suspension of intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines.  Australia’s trade minister said this week the government now supports calls for a temporary waiver of vaccine patent rights at the World Trade Organization. 

Such a move would require consensus at the WTO, where Germany and the United Kingdom are blocking the move to allow generic versions of vaccines produced by companies including Pfizer and Moderna.