Africa Needs 20 Million Astra Shots by July for Second Doses

(Bloomberg) -- African nations will need 20 million AstraZeneca Plc coronavirus vaccines by mid-July to complete the immunization of people who’ve had the first dose of the shots, the World Health Organization said.

A further 200 million doses are needed for the continent to vaccinate 10% of its population by September, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said in an online briefing on Thursday.

“Any pause in our vaccination campaigns will lead to lost lives and hope,” Moeti said. “We’re calling for countries to share the vaccines they don’t use to share those as an urgent, critical and short-term solution.”

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