UN chief calls to double global manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccines

UNITED NATIONS, February 19. /TASS/. Global manufacturing capacity should be at least doubled for the production of coronavirus vaccines, through sharing of licenses and technology transfer, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at an online session of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. "Vaccines must be available and affordable for everyone, everywhere. Vaccine equity is crucial for saving lives and saving economies. Countries need to share excess doses and provide the $6.8 billion needed for the COVAX initiative. We also need at least a doubling of global manufacturing capacity, through sharing of licenses and technology transfer," he said. Guterres repeated his call on G20 nations to establish an Emergency Task Force to prepare a global vaccination plan. "I am ready to galvanize the full United Nations System in support of this effort," he added. COVAX is an international vaccine-sharing facility within the World Health Organization (WHO), which was established to guarantee access to the COVID-19 vaccines for poorer countries. Overall, 190 countries have joined it. Under the program, richer countries pay for vaccines for poorer nations. According to COVAX’s distribution plan, its target is to secure the production and fair and equitable access to two billion doses of the vaccines throughout the world until the end of 2021. Read more