Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has signed an advance purchase agreement with Moderna for its COVID-19 vaccine, which was recently listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization.
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The agreement secures 500 million doses for COVAX, with the initial supply intended for low- and middle-income countries under the global initiative’s advance market commitment. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2021, 34 million doses are expected to become available, according to a news release.
The remaining 466 million doses are scheduled for 2022. Gavi also has options to potentially access “variant-adapted vaccine” doses in the future.
Why it matters: There are currently limited COVID-19 vaccine options available for COVAX, which has struggled to secure supplies. A temporary export ban on doses from the Serum Institute of India, which provides COVAX with the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, has added to supply constraints. Moderna has received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for its vaccine and has been expected to contribute to COVAX.
