WHO Prepares A Compensation Scheme For The Impact Of The COVID-19 Vaccine For The Poor

Photo illustration (Stephanie Braconn / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a compensation fund for residents in poor countries who may suffer from the side effects of the COVD-19 vaccine.

This was done to avoid the repeated delays in vaccination experienced a decade ago during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. At that time injections were slowed down in dozens of low-income countries because there were no clear obligations.

WHO is setting up a scheme under which the vaccine facility promoter COVAX - co-chaired by WHO and the global vaccine alliance GAVI - will distribute at least 2 billion vaccine shots worldwide by the end of next year.

The scheme can pay the bill for 92 low-income countries, mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia, meaning their governments will incur little or no cost from claims made by patients in the event of an unexpected error after the vaccine that is distributed COVAX is injected.

But dozens of middle-income countries, such as South Africa, Lebanon, Gabon, Iran, and most Latin American countries, will not be offered this protection.

"The COVAX facility is developing a system to compensate people in one of 92 countries who have suffered serious adverse events related to the vaccine," COVAX said.

However, it is unclear what criteria were used to select the 92 countries.