PAHO signs agreement with Chinese vaccine manufacturers to buy 8.5 million doses

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) said it is pushing to secure additional COVID-19 vaccines for the Americas and Caribbean to take up the immunization rate in the region.

PAHO, the American branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac to buy 8.5 million vaccines for 2021 and another 80 million doses next year.

PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said vaccination donations, including through the UN-supported COVAX program, are the "quickest way" to assist nations in the region.

"Our Revolving Fund is in advanced negotiations with vaccine manufacturers to purchase additional COVID vaccines on behalf of all Member States to supplement bilateral deals, donations and doses they receive through the COVAX mechanism," Etienne told reporters.

She noted that vaccination rates are advancing in America, where more than a billion doses have been administered so far, but she stresses that "coverage is not consistent".

"While Canada, Chile, Uruguay and Puerto Rico have fully immunized over 70 percent of their total populations, ten countries and territories in our region have reached another 20 percent of their populations," she said.

She said only one percent of the Haitian population is vaccinated so far.

Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of PAHO, said the group is finalizing deals with various vaccine manufacturers.

“We are in discussions with all the vaccine manufacturers who have the emergency use authorization from the WHO ... and we are in fairly advanced consultations to possibly sign this week or next week with two other producers who have vaccinations for the last quarter of 2021 and for 2022, ”said Barbosa.

More than 550,000 people have died from the coronavirus in America, according to PAHO figures, which account for about 55 percent of worldwide deaths.

Etienne stated on Wednesday that the region reported the highest proportion of new COVID-19 infections in the world last week at 1.5 million new cases while also reporting more than 26,000 virus-related deaths.

The Canadian Medical Association on Wednesday warned that health systems in central Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces were "breaking down" and called for more vaccinations and public health measures to "aggressively control" the increase in infections.