Iran is planning to import some 17 million doses of vaccine from COVAX and millions from other countries. But for now, it's using recently delivered Russian Sputnik V vaccines to vaccinate healthcare professionals. Iranian media have reported that a total of 2 million Russian vaccines will arrive in Iran in February and March.
Cambodia is set to get 7 million doses through the COVAX initiative. For now, China has donated 1 million doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine, enough for half a million people, and the first shipment of 600,000 doses arrived in Cambodia on Feb. 7. Australia also announced a grant of $28 million to purchase 3 million doses.
WHO and global leaders have repeatedly urged richer countries to step up funding to COVAX to aid countries that have less capacity to buy doses. But those calls have been met with mixed success, said Dr. Felicia Knaul, a global health expert and economist.
Countries like Canada, which has done well to control the spread of the virus, has enough vaccines reserved to vaccinate its population four times over. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Chile, New Zealand and the European Union have also locked down more vaccines than their population counts. Yet, Canada, New Zealand and Chile also elected to pull on COVAX for doses, as well, spurring criticism.
Global authorities said the move is a form of "double dipping" with vaccines – taking from a global aid scheme while also getting doses from private companies, which poorer nations may not be able to afford.
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