According to an AFP version, more than 400 million doses of vaccines were given around the world on Thursday.
Despite the suspension of the AstraZeneca shot in more than a dozen countries, the vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 are still increasing, according to official sources.
The last 100 million people who were vaccinated got a sign in 11 days of how the pace was picking up – six times faster than it took to give the first 100 million.
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By Thursday evening, at least 402.3 million doses had been administered in more than 158 countries around the world.
While rich countries did best, vaccination in the poorer countries eventually began under the free COVAX program.
Maria Castro de Lima (72) received a dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from a health worker while on the porch of her home in the Recanto community, along the Purus River, in the Labrea municipality in the state Amazon sits. Brazil, February 12, 2021. (AP Photo / Edmar Barros)
Israel moves forward
Israel still leads the race, with nearly three out of five of its population receiving at least one dose. About half of Israelis – more than 4.4 million – received a second dose. Millions more are ineligible because they are under 16.
The United Kingdom (38 percent), the United Arab Emirates (between 35 and 70 percent), Chile (28 percent), the United States (22 percent), Bahrain (22 percent) and Serbia (as of March 12, 16 percent) are also do well.
In terms of pure numbers, the US is far ahead with 113 million shots given ahead of China with 65 million (as of March 14), India (39 million) and the United Kingdom with 27.6 million.
European countries gave 54.4 million doses to 8.5 percent of the block’s population.
Boxes of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and provided by the global COVAX initiative, arrive on 15 March 2021 at the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. (AP Photo / Farah Abdi Warsameh)
Poorer countries now benefit from it
Out of 13 of the poorest countries that started their vaccinations, nine started using vaccines delivered free of charge under the COVAX scheme launched by the World Health Organization, the Gavi vaccine alliance and the Cepi coalition in early March.
Only 0.1 percent of the doses injected around the world were given in these poor countries, home to nine percent of the world population.
In contrast, the richest countries – which have 16 percent of humanity – had 58 percent of the doses.
More than a quarter of all doses given so far (28 percent) were in the US.
AstraZeneca to head
The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, has already been administered in about 100 countries or territories, surpassing its competitors.
Although inexpensive, it is widely used in richer countries such as the UK and the EU, as well as in poorer countries, thanks to the COVAX scheme.
Midwives are awaiting medical supervision after receiving their first admission of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in San Jacinto, Eastern Guatemala, on March 18, 2021. (AP Photo / Moises Castillo)
It is also applied in India, where it is also manufactured.
However, the Swedish-British vaccine was fueled by controversy after blood clots were observed in a number of vaccines. But the EU regularly said on Thursday that it was not linked to an increased risk of blood clots.
Where shots are used
The vaccines manufactured by the American and German Pfizer / BioNTech – which are used in more than 70 countries – and the American Moderna, which are used in more than 40, are more expensive and more difficult to store. They are mainly used in rich countries.
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, used in more than 20 countries, and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac jabs – used in 20 and a dozen countries respectively – are mostly used in their home markets as well as in emerging and developing countries. administered.
The American vaccine Johnson & Johnson, the first to require only one dose, has been approved in the USA, Canada and the EU, but has so far only been rolled out in the USA and South Africa.
