A new report out yesterday details the far-reaching impact of the U.S. Government’s Initiative for Global Vaccine Access, or Global VAX, a united government effort to help countries overcome challenges to COVID-19 vaccine delivery and uptake. Since its launch in 2021, Global VAX has enabled the rapid acceleration of the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout and stemmed the devastating impacts of the pandemic in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
As global COVID-19 vaccine supply increased in 2021 following historic donations, the U.S. government launched Global VAX to encompass all of the U.S. government’s work in countries experiencing challenges to vaccine delivery and uptake. Global VAX committed more than $1.8 billion and provided technical support and diplomatic engagement to rapidly increase access to and confidence in vaccines in more than 120 partner countries.
In each country, Global VAX implementing agencies worked closely with host country governments, other multilateral and donor partners, and local communities to prioritize approaches that would best enhance country-led programs and work toward country goals for vaccinating those at highest risk of COVID-19 – such as health care workers, the immunocompromised, and those living in hard-to-reach places.
These efforts helped to unlock extraordinary progress. As of June 1, 2023, COVID-19 vaccine complete primary series coverage had increased by nearly 25 percentage points in low-income countries since the launch of Global VAX. In Africa, COVID-19 vaccination rates have increased more than sixfold during this time (December 1, 2021–June 1, 2023), from 4.5 percent of the population having received a COVID-19 vaccine complete primary series to 30 percent. This acceleration of COVID-19 vaccination over the course of less than two years would not have been possible without the support of Global VAX.
Global VAX built on decades of U.S. government investment in global health and development and brought together the capabilities of the United States Agency for International Development, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, Peace Corps, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Department of Treasury, and other interagency partners under a landmark whole-of-government effort. This approach allowed Global VAX to leverage the full range of the U.S. government’s global health programs, prioritizing the most effective and efficient approach to respond to the evolving COVID-19 crisis.
As the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, U.S. government efforts through Global VAX have laid the foundation for stronger, more robust health systems with increased capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to future waves of COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks.
The full report is available here.
