File photoPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will donate Covid-19 vaccines for 800,000 people via the COVAX dose-sharing facility that aims to protect health workers and other vulnerable people in lower-income countries. Officials appealed for another $US2 billion by June for the programme, which aims to buy up to 1.8 billion doses in 2021. COVAX has shipped more than 38 million vaccine doses to 111 countries in seven weeks, most of them AstraZeneca's shot. He urged them to share excess doses "as soon as possible to cover the high risk populations during this supply constrained period." Berkley later told a news briefing that he expected more countries to donate excess doses.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 15, 2021 20:15 UTC