Counterfeit Covid Vaxes Cloud Africa’s Response

For months, Africa’s intelligence and law enforcement circles have worried that counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines might flow through the continent’s free-trade ports, which are key economic drivers but also hubs for illicit imports, according to a deep-dive from Bhekisisa.
 
Arrests have already been made for the sale of counterfeit vaccines, Bhekisisareported last week.
 
Meanwhile, here’s 5 encouraging signs on legitimate vaccination efforts: 

• The African Union announced today that Russia had offered 300 million Sputnik V doses and a financing deal, Reuters reports. 


• The AU has also secured 270 million doses from other drugmakers, though only a handful of African countries have begun vaccination programs.


• After buying up early doses for themselves, wealthy countries are funnelling more into the COVAX effort to secure doses for ~100 developing nations.


• Ahead of today’s G7 summit today, President Biden pledged $4 billion to the COVAX vaccination, Forbes reports.  


• The EU has doubled its contribution to the program to $1.2 billion, AP reports