...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...vaccine initiative intended to ensure that any effective shots are fairly distributed around the world - but which may also allow them to buy more vaccines to stockpile for their own citizens.
In a statement on Wednesday, the vaccines alliance Gavi reported that 75 countries have said they would join its new ``Covax facility'' along with another 90 low-income countries that hope to receive donated vaccines.
The News Agency that Dare Not be Named reported this week that the Gavi initiative may allow rich countries to reinforce their own coronavirus vaccine supplies while leaving fewer doses available for more vulnerable populations.
When Gavi approached donor countries last month, it advertised the plan as an ``insurance policy'' for rich countries that have already struck deals with drugmakers for experimental COVID-19 vaccines.
Gavi told donor governments that when an effective inoculation is found within its pool of COVID-19 candidates, all countries will receive enough to cover 20% of their populations, including rich countries that may have their own stockpiles. It said countries would be encouraged, but not required, to give up any doses they might not need.
``For the vast majority of countries, whether they can afford to pay for their own doses or require assistance, it means receiving a guaranteed share of doses and avoiding being pushed to the back of the queue,`` Gavi CEO Seth Berkley said in a statement.