Emirates delivers first batch of COVID-19 vaccines under COVAX

Emirates Airlines has today, February 24, 2021, delivered the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility to Ghana to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

The consignment which was transported on flight number EK787 arrived in the country around 7:45 AM GMT with 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Vaccine.

The 600,000 doses represent the first batch of some 2.4 million vaccines expected to arrive in the country under the COVAX Facility in the first half of the year. The delivery comes on the back of the Government of Ghana’s mass vaccination plan to vaccinate at least some 20 million people in Ghana starting in the first week of March 2021.

Emirates' delivery comes days after the airline together with some other fifteen airlines indicated their commitment in supporting the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in prioritizing COVID-19 cargo deliveries over other freight.

The brief ceremony to welcome the delivery at the Kotoka International Airport was attended by officials of the government, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and some members of the diplomatic corps.

The COVAX Facility is an initiative developed by leading bodies like UNICEF, WHO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and The GAVI Alliance with a key mission of guaranteeing fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for every country in the world.

Authored

Mark Ofosu II Twitter: M__ofosu