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Minister for International Development and Diaspora Colm Brophy T.D. has announced a further €1m in funding for COVAX, the international facility for supporting equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations globally.

The announcement brings to €6m Ireland’s funding for global COVID-19 vaccine distribution programmes so far this year as part of a €100m spend on Global Health in 2021.

Minister Brophy said:

“The number of vaccines being distributed by COVAX is ramping up. To date, 218 million vaccines have been distributed 138 countries through COVAX. While the pace of theprogramme is increasing, clearly there needs to be a major international effort to support access to vaccines globally.  

“Earlier this year, the Government provided €4 million in funding to the COVAX facility, with an additional €1 million allocated to the World Health Organisation to support the process of vaccine procurement and distribution. The additional €1m which I am announcing today is a further sign of Ireland’s commitment to supporting the distribution of vaccines in low and middle income countries.

“We have heard many times throughout this pandemic that nobody is safe until everyone is safe. The Government is convinced of the ethical obligation to support people in low and middle income countries to access COVID-19 vaccines. Doing so will protect vulnerable people in those countries, as well as helping to counter the risk of further variants emerging.

“The vaccination programme in Ireland has made great progress and allows us all to be confident that better days are ahead. The Government is actively investigating the potential for sharing vaccines with low income countries to further complement our support for COVAX.”

ENDS

Press Office

31 August 2021

Additional notes:

• As of August 30th, COVAX has distributed 218 million vaccines to 138 countries. However, at the current pace, a significant percentage of the global population will not be vaccinated before mid-2022. Not only will this prolong the public health emergency in many countries, it will continue to put the world at risk of further mutations.
• The Government has allocated at least €100 million in 2021 to global health, which includes the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. Today’s announcement brings to €6m Ireland’s funding for global COVID-19 vaccine distribution programmes (€5m to COVAX and €1m to the World Health Organisation).
• The EU is the world’s largest exporter of vaccine doses (300 million) as well as substantially financially contributing to COVAX (more than €3.2bn) and has now started to share vaccine doses with third countries with direct donations and through COVAX (potentially more than 116 million doses).