Vaccine COVAX Donation

About Vaccine COVAX Donation

High income countries donated surplus COVID vaccines through COVAX. Hundreds of millions of doses were donated, and major donors including the US, the EU, and China made large pledges. However donations were often criticized for being too slow, too few, and too close to expiration. Some donated doses arrived with only weeks before expiration and could not be administered. African health officials criticized donations with short shelf lives, and some doses expired before use. The donation process was chaotic, with countries receiving vaccines they could not use. The WHO called on countries to donate through COVAX rather than bilaterally to ensure equitable distribution. The COVID vaccine donation experience motivated discussions about a global pandemic treaty that would include commitments to vaccine sharing and regional manufacturing capacity.