"Africa, which said it 'does not want to be seen as a corona continent,' suddenly requests to stop vaccine donations"

"Not a Supply Shortage... Issues with Vaccine Distribution, Storage, and Resistance"

COVID-19 vaccines are being transported on a conveyor belt. The photo is not directly related to any specific expressions in the article.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Africa, which had been complaining about COVID-19 vaccine inequality, has requested a halt to vaccine donations until the third or fourth quarter of this year.

On the 22nd (local time), according to the U.S. political media outlet 'Politico,' John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated, "The main challenge for vaccination on the African continent is no longer supply shortage but vaccine distribution, storage, and vaccine hesitancy," and requested that the Africa CDC and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) temporarily pause vaccine donations.

Director Nkengasong said that while vaccine donations are necessary, large donations at once can be harmful. He said, "We want to take some time to avoid the expiration of the large quantities of vaccines received so far and to understand how many people have actually acquired immunity. After that, we will receive vaccine donations again."

John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is giving an interview to Yonhap News on October 5, 2020. / Photo by Yonhap News

He further compared vaccines to food, saying, "Receiving a large amount of vaccines is like buying a basket of food and placing it in the kitchen. If not used, it spoils. However, if purchased in smaller portions, you can reach the final goal even with the same amount of food."

He also added that as vaccine supply quantities have become more predictable, leaders of African countries have been able to develop more effective vaccine distribution plans and estimate how many vaccines are needed over a certain period.

Seth Berkley, Chairman of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), also said in an interview with the media, "I hope no vaccines are wasted during the COVID-19 pandemic," explaining, "Initially, we tried to secure as many as possible, but now the situation has become more complex."

He added, "The allocation of vaccine donation capacity is important globally. We must work to match supply and demand and align countries' vaccine needs with their vaccination strategies."

Meanwhile, Director Nkengasong had requested vaccine supplies last July, saying, "Africa is still very far from its goals. We do not want to be seen as a COVID-19 continent."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.