The COVAX Initiative expects to release first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTec vaccine and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine during the first half of 2021 to 145 participating countries, it announced on February 3.

Twelve South Pacific countries are included in its first distribution forecast, targeting to reach at least 3% population coverage in all countries in the first half of the year, enough to protect the most vulnerable groups such as health care workers.

However, the doses allocated for each country are still subject to manufacturing supply capacity and completed pre-requisites.

Further supply is planned for the second half of the year.

COVAX listed the countries to receive 240 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed to Serum Institute of India (SII), and 96 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, under the advance purchase agreement between Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and AstraZeneca.

The Pacific countries will receive the AstraZeneca vaccines from two manufacturing sources known as AZ/SII and AZ SKBio.

There are only two countries listed for AZ/SII, Papua New Guinea with 684,000 doses and the Solomon Islands with 108,000 doses.

The other 10 Pacific countries with indicative doses of AZ/SKBio are:

• Fiji 100,800 doses;
• Kiribati – 48,000;
• Marshall Islands – 24,000;
• Micronesia (Federated States of) – 48,000;
• Nauru – 7,200;
• New Zealand 249,600;
• Samoa – 79,200;
• Tonga – 43,200
• Tuvalu – 4,800
• Vanuatu 100,800.

The indicative distribution is intended to provide interim guidance to COVAX Facility participating countries to help their governments and public health leaders to plan and prepare for the first rounds of vaccine distribution this year, and a successful national roll out of vaccines.

“It is therefore non-binding and may be subject to change,” the forecast stated.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation, are co-leads of the COVAX initiative for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF.