UNICEF, the UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, said on 23 February 2021 that it had sent an initial 100,000 syringes for COVID-19 vaccines to the Maldives in preparation for first deliveries of Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots under the COVAX vaccine-sharing plan, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the UNICEF, the syringes, as well as 1,000 safety boxes for vaccine storage, are expected to arrive in the Maldives on 23 February 2021.
Other recipient countries in the first wave of shipments include Ivory Coast and Sao Tome and Principe.
In a statement, the UNICEF said that the shipment of 23 February 2021 will be followed in the next few weeks by deliveries of about 14.5 million 0.5 millilitre (ml) and 0.3 ml syringes to over 30 countries.
The COVAX facility, co-led by the World Health Organisation, the GAVI vaccine alliance and others, had allocated about 330 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for poorer countries earlier in February 2021. It aims to deliver these and millions more in the first half of 2021.
UNICEF said the 0.5 ml syringes would be for use with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine made by Serum Institute of India, while the 0.3 ml ones would be for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
UNICEF's executive director, Henrietta Fore, was quoted as saying: "It is critical to have adequate supplies of syringes already in place in every country before the vaccine arrives so that the vaccine can be administered safely," adding, "This would allow immunisation to start immediately and "help turn the tide on this terrible virus".
Pfizer reports positive Phase 3 data for ABRYSVO in adults at risk for RSV disease
Clover Bio announces SCB-1019 vaccine candidate Phase I trial data in initial young adult cohort
Sanofi launches Verorab for rabies prophylaxis in UK
BioVaxys expands patent portfolio for DPX delivery platform and advances DPX SurMAGE
YS Biopharma repays USD40m loan facility
Kintara Therapeutics and TuHURA Biosciences to merge
VGXI names new chief accounting officer
Moderna reports positive interim results from next-generation COVID-19 vaccine trial
Valneva launches Phase 1 trial for next-generation Zika vaccine
Circio Holding ASA confirms licensing deal with IOVaxis Therapeutics in China and Singapore
Everest Medicines names new chief medical officer and chief product officer
Pfizer's PREVENAR 20 gains European Commission approval for paediatric pneumococcal vaccine