Botswana Yesterday morning(Saturday) received the second delivery of the Astrazeneca vaccine believed to be part of a consignment South Africa has passed up to the African Union.
The astrazaneca plane-load, which landed at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, comes at a time when India has suspended exports of the Covid-19 vaccine concocted by the Serum Institute of India(SII).
Botswana is among scores of low and middle income countries earmarked to receive AstraZeneca doses for 20 percent of their populations through a global vaccine scheme co-led by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The scheme known as CovaxCOVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others.
Two independent reports, seen by Sunday Standard show that India hit a snag on its March and April Astrazeneca export orders due to a surge in local demand.
The Astrazeneca doses, which South Africa turned down last month and gave to the African Union, have come in handy to address India’s supply deficit.
South Africa’s Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize told parliament the country would give the doses to the AU after scrapping their use due to efficacy concerns.
The country suspended its vaccine rollout after a study found the jab failed to prevent mild to moderate illnesses caused by a new variant discovered in that country.
“The doses we purchased have been offered to the African Union to distribute to those countries who have already expressed interest in acquiring the stock,” Mkhize told Parliament.
The South African pass up is believed to have made up for the Indian COVAX supply shortfall for March and April.
A report by COVAX seen by Sunday Standard revealed that the facility had already notified participating economies, among them Botswana, that deliveries of doses from the Serum Institute of India will be delayed in March and April.
According to COVAX, delays in securing supplies of Serum Institute of India-produced covid-19 vaccine doses are due to the increased demand for the vaccine in India.
The COVAX Facility explained that separately, participating economies in the COVAX Facilty that have been allocated doses from the AstraZeneca manufacturing network have been notified that some first deliveries anticipated in March will now take place in April.
“Deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) to lower-income economies participating in the COVAX Facility will face delays during March and April as the Government of India battles a new wave of COVID-19 infections. COVAX and the Government of India remain in discussions to ensure some supplies are completed during March and April,” the report says.
The second report shows that the decesion by Indian Government to put on hold major exports of AstraZeneca was bound to happen. The report which is in the form of a written reply in India’s Parliament (The Rajya Sabha) by that country’s Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare) Ashwini Kumar Choubey suggests that some lawmakers had queried the decesion by the Indian Government to donate vaccines to other countries among them Botswana while the Asian country was still battling a surge in covid-19 cases. 0.
Explaining and defending the decesion by his government to donate vaccines to Botswana and other countries accross the world, Choubey said: “Low/middle income Countries as well as nations with limited access to pharmaceutical technologies are at debilitating disadvantages in dealing with the pandemic. To this end, Govt. of India has allowed only limited export of vaccines while according highest priority to domestic needs.”
He added that supplies have been undertaken in the form of “Grants-in-aid”, commercial sales by the manufacturers and through GAVI’s COVAX facility.
“GAVI’s COVAX facility has more than 190 members including India. Country-wise details for supply of vaccines till 17 March 2021 are enclosed. More than 7.47 crore vaccine doses have been supplied to Stats/UTs within the country so far,” he said.
Choubey said once an epidemic takes form of a pandemic, its management has to be done keeping the entire globe as unit and in most circumstances, it is not possible to take either States-specific or country-specific approach. “Hence, export of COVID-19 vaccine which facilitates global action to vaccination is important to simultaneously protect the high-risk population in all the countries of the world, thereby breaking the chain of transmission and minimizing chances of import of COVID-19 cases from foreign countries as well as neighbouring countries to India,” he said.
Choubey’s report also shows that India donated vaccines to Botswana, Seychelles, Dominican Republic, Ivory Coast, Barbados, Dominica, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Malawi, Uganda, Jamaica, Mozambique among others.
Those which paid for the doses directly from the Serum Institute of India (without waiting for donations or for COVAX Facility only) are among others South Africa, Kuwait, Mexicco, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Serbi, Ukraine, Canada and UK.
The first report by the COVAX Facility also explained that according to the agreement between Gavi and the Serum Institute of India, which included funding to support an increase in manufacturing capacity, the Serum Institute of India (SII) is contracted to provide COVAX with the SII-licensed and manufactured AstraZeneca (AZ)-Oxford vaccine (known as COVISHIELD) to 64 lower-income economies participating in the Gavi COVAX AMC (including India), alongside its commitments to the Government of India.
Commenting on the latest development during an online press conference, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control John Nkengasong said: “As a continent I truly feel hopeless.”
“Without a rapid access to vaccines we will continue to be challenged, lives will be lost, our economies will continue to struggle” sid Nkengasong.
