20 million more Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines donated to COVAX

A further ten million Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been sent by the UK to COVAX, with 10 million more due to be delivered in the coming weeks to some of the world's most vulnerable people. These additional donations mean 30.6 million surplus doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca will have been given to those in need in 2021.

Oxford-AstraZeneca is the world's most widely used vaccine, accounting for more than half of all COVAX deliveries. Thanks to AstraZeneca's commitment to the UK Government to distribute the vaccine on a non-profit basis, 1.5 billion doses have been used in more than 170 countries.

In 2022, the UK will donate at least 20 million more Oxford-AZ doses. This will mean we have given half of the UK's total order of the vaccine to countries in need.

The UK will also donate all the 20 million Janssen doses ordered by the Government to COVAX. Domestic need for the current booster programme will be met through mRNA vaccines and Oxford-Astra Zeneca, meaning the UK can donate its full Janssen order to developing countries. Janssen aim to prioritise deliveries to countries based on need so COVAX will receive the much-needed vaccines as soon as they come off the production line in 2022.

Today's announcement means that the UK has now set out how 70% of the 100 million vaccines we have pledged to share with those in need have been or will be delivered. Providing this detail of planned donations as early as possible will help COVAX allocate and plan delivery of doses more effectively, ensuring vaccines get to those that need them most.

Today at a meeting of G20 leaders in Rome the Prime Minister will hail the importance of vaccines in allowing the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. He will call on G20 leaders to do everything in their power to increase supplies to those that need them, either through direct donation or encouraging pharmaceutical companies to adopt the Oxford-AstraZeneca model which is putting people over profit.

Addressing the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to say:

Like a waking giant, the world economy is stirring back to life. But the pace of recovery will depend on how quickly we can overcome Covid.

Our first priority as the G20 must be to press ahead with the rapid, equitable and global distribution of vaccines."

At the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay, leaders agreed to work to vaccinate the world by the end of 2022. The UK will donate 100 million surplus vaccine doses by the middle of next year to help achieve that goal.

Surplus donations alone will not allow us to defeat the pandemic. That is why the UK is backing the Oxford-AstraZeneca production model while providing developing countries with the financial support they need to obtain vaccines – giving £548 million early on to COVAX.

The UK continues to proactively manage our vaccine supply and does not hold a stockpile of covid vaccines. All procured, regulated doses are either used rapidly by our domestic programme or shared internationally with countries in need.