BRIEF—Two billion doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have gone to poorer countries

In the week that the company has announced that it will start selling its Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine for profit in the world’s wealthier countries, AstraZeneca has stressed that poorer nations have been receiving their share.

The Anglo-Swedish pharma major and its partners have reached the milestone of releasing for supply two billion doses of their vaccine to more than 170 countries across every continent on the planet in the last 11 months, the company said in a statement released Tuesday.

Approximately two-thirds of these have gone to low- and lower-middle-income countries, including more than 175 million doses delivered to 130 countries through the COVAX Facility.

Pascal Soriot, chief executive, AstraZeneca, said: “Our vaccine has played a key role in tackling the biggest public health emergency of our lifetime: an estimated million lives saved, 50 million infections prevented, two billion doses delivered. The numbers are remarkable, and I’d like to thank everyone who put their lives to one side to help in this incredible endeavor. While much of the world still has to be vaccinated, and there is still much more to do, today is a proud day and testament to what can be achieved when we all work together.”