Moderna announced Tuesday morning the agreement to ship approximately 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Africa.

Africa is currently the least vaccinated continent in the world, with 8.4 percent having had at least one shot of Covid vaccine and 5.5% fully vaccinated.

The continent’s countries have relied heavily upon donations from countries other than Africa as they were behind the U.S.A. and European countries who were in line to receive vaccines.

The U.S. granted the African Union permission to move ahead, deferring 33,000,000 doses that were to have been purchased by America between December 2012 and February to allow this deal to proceed.

Moderna announced of Tuesday that it had reached a deal with the African Union to ship 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the continent by the end of quarter 2 of 2022. It is the first major deal between the continent and the company. Pictured: A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Lagos, Nigeria

Moderna announced Tuesday that it reached a deal to ship 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Africa by the end 2nd of 2022. This is the first major agreement between the company and the continent. Pictured: A man in Lagos, Nigeria receives the COVID-19 vaccine

In order to deliver the vaccine to Africa, the United States deferred a shipment of 33 million doses of the Moderna jab (pictured)

The United States delayed a shipment of 33,000,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine (pictured) in order to deliver the vaccine to Africa.

Strive Masiyiwa, the special envoy of the African Union on COVID-19, said that it was a “great day for us” after months of frustration by African nations over delayed vaccine deliveries and vaccine hoarding in rich countries.

Moderna, a company based in Cambridge Massachusetts, stated that the deal was made using its ‘lowest tiered pricing’. 

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel stated that the vaccine could play an important role in meeting the needs of low-income nations because of its combination of high Phase3 efficacy against COVID-19 and strong durability in the real world evidence and superior storage and handling conditions. 

“We recognize that accessing COVID-19 vaccines in many countries continues to be a challenge. We are committed to continuing to help as many people around the world as possible.  

Moderna will deliver 15,000,000 doses of the drug to the continent in the framework of the agreement.

In the first quarter 2022, another 35 million doses of the drug will be shipped to Africa. In the second quarter, 60 million will be shipped.

This is the first time that the African Union has reached a deal to buy doses from Moderna.

Masiyiwa stated that if the entire contract with Moderna is activated then African nations could reach the goal to vaccinate 450 million people by September 2022. 

This is half the target of vaccines for 70% of the continent’s population. That’s 900 million people. 

African nations earlier struck a deal with Johnson & Johnson for up to 400 million doses.  

Moderna stated that this agreement is separate to its deal with the global COVAX project, which will supply up to 500,000,000 doses starting in late 2018 and continuing through 2022. 

COVAX’s goal is to provide doses to countries of low- and medium-income.

Yet, despite all the vaccines, Africa will not be able to fully vaccinate 10 percent of its population by the year’s end, according to Vera Songwe (executive secretary of U.N. Economic Commission for Africa).

Africa is by far the least vaccinated continent in the world. Less than 10% of the population has received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to more than 55% in Asia, Europe, North America and South America

Africa is the least vaccinated continent. Only 10% of Africa’s population has had at least one shot with the COVID-19 vaccine. This compares to 55% in Asia, Europe and North America.

Seth Berkley from GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance said that less than 9 percent of Africa’s population has received at most one dose of a COVID-19-vaccination. He called it unacceptable’.

Comparatively, at least 55 percent of all countries in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America have had at least some vaccinations. 

He stated that COVAX expects to have 470million doses for Africa by the end this year and more than 900 million doses by March. 

He stated that 127 million doses had been delivered to date.