NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 2- As the race for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine continue to gain momentum globally, the United Kingdom on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, said to be 95 percent effective.
At least four vaccine have shown commendable efficacy levels and are now gearing towards getting approval for their use to help address the global health crisis that has claimed hundred of thousands of lives.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approval comes amid a race by world superpowers to be the first to kick off the biggest global immunization exercise.
The United Kingdom is now expected to roll-out the first doses across the country next week.
Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the vaccination exercise will give priority to elderly people in care homes and care home staff, those over the age of 80, and healthcare workers.
“UK has already ordered 50 million doses of the jab. This will vaccinate about 20 million people,” said Hancock.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the approval of the vaccine was a silver bullet in reclaiming the country’s economy.
He also termed it a win and a ray of hope amid the ongoing pandemic that ravaged nations across the word and crippling the global economy.
“It is the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again. “ said Prime Minister Johnson.
Pfizer announced it’s vaccine breakthrough on November 9, with stage three clinical trial results.
As Britain celebrates this major milestone to mark the beginning of the road to recovery, Kenyans will have to wait a little longer to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
On 21 of September, The World Health Organisation (WHO) outlined how it would distribute COVID-19 vaccine to 156 countries.
Kenya signed up for Covax-A global collaboration that aims to accelerate the development and manufactures of COVID-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
WHO said the countries will receive the COVID-19 vaccine in small portions from 2021.
In the report published on its website, WHO said each country, including Kenya, will receive doses that vaccinate one in every five people.
In the first stages, Kenya will receive doses in little portions until the Ministry of Health has enough to vaccinate three percent of the population.
The report reads, “This volume would enable, for example, the vaccination of frontline workers in health and social care settings in most countries.”
Early November, Pfizer had opened discussions with Covax for equitably distribution of its potential vaccine.
“It is our intention to achieve equitable global distribution of vaccine supply in alignment with identified priority populations.” said a Pfizer spokesperson.
As UK takes the lead in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise, there have been concerns that low-income countries may not be able to access successful vaccines due to various reasons including lack of funding.
Wealthy countries have been faulted for hoarding and securing future vaccine supplies for its citizens at the expense of poor countries.
Meanwhile, a WHO analysis on African Region vaccine readiness indicates that the region has an average score of 33 percent readiness for Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, which is below the desired benchmark of 80 percent.
The analysis further intimates that only 49 percent have identified the priority populations for vaccination and have plans in place to reach them, and 44 percent have coordination structures in place.
It further revealed that only 24 percent have adequate plans for resources and funding.
The Global Health Organization also estimated that the cost of rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine on the African continent to priority populations will be around $5.7 billion.
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