Staff members unload the AstraZeneca vaccines from the plane at Cardinal Bernadin Gantin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin, March 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Seraphin Zounyekpe)
African countries have received over 26 million COVID-19 vaccines both from the COVAX facility and through bilateral agreements outside the COVAX facility, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
ADDIS ABABA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- African countries have received over 26 million COVID-19 vaccines both from the COVAX facility and through bilateral agreements outside the COVAX facility, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX arrive at Bole international airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU), said on late Friday that some 28 AU members have received their consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility, accounting about 16,245,560 doses.
From these, a total of about 7,272,148 doses have been administered, according to the agency.
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccines obtained from the COVAX facility, some 18 African countries have received COVID-19 vaccines outside the COVAX facility through bilateral agreements, accounting for about 10,034,220 doses, it was noted.
According to the agency, additional nine African countries had received their vaccine consignments, totalling about 723,000, from MTN as part of its 25 million U.S. dollars donation to support the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team's (AVATT) efforts. ■
