WHO Ways To Ensure Vaccine Access For Developing Countries

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JAKARTA - The World Health Organization has registered the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for emergency use. This effort was made by WHO to ensure the acceleration of vaccine access for developing and poor countries.

Launching CNA, Saturday, January 2, WHO will immediately work with regional partners so that developing countries understand what are the ingredients and benefits of injecting two doses of vaccine. The move, according to WHO, is an effort to help poor and developing countries quickly agree to the circulation of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Because, if permission is not granted quickly, there will be many delays in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the choice of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is quite reasonable. WHO revealed that according to its review, the vaccine made by Pfizer has met the criteria that other vaccines must have.

"This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to the COVID-19 vaccine," said Mariangela Simao, leader of the WHO drug access program.

"But I want to emphasize the need for a greater global effort to achieve sufficient vaccine supplies to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere," he added.

Previously, WHO has collaborated with the GAVI Vaccine Alliance to form an alliance to spearhead global efforts to secure the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine for developing and poor countries. Moreover, it is now known that rich countries have controlled most of the COVID-19 vaccines.

As a concrete form of work, the alliance has held talks with Pfizer-BioNTech to secure the vaccine. Even so, the main challenge for the alliance is related to the distribution and delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. That is, to maintain delivery, the vaccine must be kept at a drinking temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. The problem then becomes a big obstacle for poor and developing countries that do not have adequate infrastructure.