Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - On the eve of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) announced a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Serum (IIS) to accelerate the production and delivery of up to 100 million doses of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 for 92 countries with low and middle income. The Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan reports.

Earlier, under the GAVI COVAX AMC and COVAX Facility programs, a list of 92 countries was approved that will be provided with the necessary number of doses of safe vaccine against COVID-19.

This list was compiled according to the International Development Association and includes all countries with a gross national income per capita of less than US$4,000. The list of countries also includes 3 Central Asian countries: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

According to the agreements between GAVI and IIS:

1) GAVI will provide funding in advance for the Institute to expand its production capacity;

2) promising vaccines from AstraZeneca and Novavax will be produced in the IIS, if they manage to obtain a license and pre-qualification from WHO;

3) the maximum price for one dose of vaccine is set at US$3;

4) if necessary, the number of purchased vaccines can be increased.

GAVI is financially supported by the CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to collaborate with the Serum Institute of India.

Once a vaccine is approved by regulatory authorities and / or prequalified by WHO, GAVI is reportedly purchasing these vaccines and sharing among 92 countries supported by the Alliance in the first half of 2021.

GAVI’s primary goal is to provide 2 billion doses of safe and effective vaccines to all countries in need by the end of 2021. The organization estimates that US$6.8 billion will be required to purchase this amount of vaccines. It is noted that the Alliance will initially provide vaccines to an average of 20% of the population in each country, with particular attention to health workers and the most vulnerable.

In general, such agreements are aimed primarily at ensuring that the "poorest" countries in the world have access to a safe and effective vaccine, along with the "rich" countries. In addition, the implementation of the goals of GAVI and other organizations and foundations, according to experts, will help increase immunization coverage, which, in turn, will help contain and phase out the coronavirus pandemic.