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Singapore to Donate Vaccines Via Covax, Urges Others to Step Up

Singapore to Donate Vaccines Via Covax, Urges Others to Step Up

Singapore will donate excess Covid-19 vaccines under the Covax initiative as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged countries with advanced inoculation programs to do the same.

Lee didn’t specify when the donations will be made or the amount of doses it will share. He was speaking at an online gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders on Friday. He also called for cooperation to prepare for the next pandemic.

“Covid-19 will not be the last, nor the most serious pandemic the world will face,” Lee said. “We need a more agile global governance and financing mechanism that can swiftly plug gaps in global health security.”

Covax is a global vaccine procurement initiative intended to secure inoculations for low- and middle-income nations. Southeast Asian nations are grappling with a surge in Covid-19 cases that are stressing healthcare facilities and putting strain on global supply chains. That’s prompted calls from the shipping industry and governments to improve access to vaccines in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.