White House coronavirus adviser Deborah Birx has called on the international Covid-19 vaccine financing vehicle, Covax, to consider expanding its financial support to upper- middle-income countries such as SA that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Covax is jointly co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation and the international vaccine alliance Gavi, and requires middle-income countries such as SA to self-finance the shots they procure through the facility. While a formal agreement has yet to be signed, finance minister Tito Mboweni said last week that the government would set aside R500m to procure Covid-19 vaccines from Covax...

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