Poorer Countries to Receive First Shipment of 40 Million Vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech Next Month, WHO Says

Chinese and Russian vaccines, if proven safe and efficacious, could also be added to COVAX, Berkley added.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said WHO head Tedros, "but the light at the end of the tunnel continues to grow brighter."

Morocco takes delivery

On Thursday, Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to US President Biden, said the US would join COVAX, reversing ex-president Donald Trump's policy.

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Morocco on Friday received two million AstraZeneca doses, arriving on a Royal Air Maroc flight from India, whose serum institute (SII) has started exporting that vaccine, developed in conjunction with Britain's Oxford University.

Morocco's health ministry said Rabat also expected on January 27 to receive a Chinese Sinopharm delivery.

The ministry said 3,000 vaccine locations were prepared to initially vaccinate health workers, teachers, the elderly, and public officials in areas with higher infections.