The possibility of sending vaccine doses against him coronavirus, which is expected to receive itself under its vaccination program, in Papua New Guinea, where the epidemic threatens to provoke a humanitarian crisis, Australia is considering.
Papua New Guinea is set to receive 588,000 doses of vaccine by June under the Global Vaccine Access Mechanism COVID-19 (COVAX), but doubts have arisen about these supplies given the new restrictions imposed on vaccine-producing countries as the pandemic spreads.
The EU has tightened controls on vaccine exports and has not yet responded to a request from Australia to deliver one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Papua New Guinea, which was agreed to be delivered to Australia, the source told Reuters. ΑΜΠΕ.
India has temporarily frozen all major exports of the country’s AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the country’s Serum Institute to meet domestic demand, which will almost certainly cause delay in vaccine deliveries to Papua New Guinea.
There is growing concern about the situation in Papua New Guinea, an island country of about ten million people, many of whom live in poverty in isolated communities.
“There is a humanitarian crisis in our backyard,” said the source, who is aware of the Australian Government’s reasoning on the issue.
According to the source, the Australia continues to push for one million doses in the EU, but is considering other options.
“No decision has been made yet but the government is considering sending vaccines,” the source said, without commenting on the amount of doses being tested.
More than 4,600 cases and 39 deaths
Papua New Guinea, which ruled from Australia before independence, has recorded more than 4,600 cases of coronavirus and 39 deaths, according to data released yesterday.
But Australia claims that this report does not correspond to the magnitude of the crisis as this island country does not carry out mass diagnostic tests for the virus.
Its largest hospitals have reported that up to 80% of those tested are positive and Prime Minister James Marape has said the virus has “escaped”.
The only vaccines the country has received are just over 8,000 doses sent by Australia to health workers.
“The Australian Government is right to put pressure on the EU on this issue but the situation is urgent and it cannot wait,” said Mark Purcell, chief executive of the Australian Council for International Development, who represents aid.
The Australian Government is currently facing the politically sensitive question of whether it should send doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Papua New Guinea in the early stages of the Australian vaccination operation.
Biotechnology company CSL is set to supply Australia with 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine it has begun producing in Australia to help vaccinate the entire population of around 26 million by the end of the year.
Australia has largely managed to manage the health crisis through lockdown, social distancing measures and border controls.
It has recorded 29,200 cases and 900 deaths.
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