(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, JAN 19 - The EU is working on a mechanism
to share vaccines with neighbouring and low-income countries in
the western Balkans and Africa, EU commissioner Stella
Kyriakides said Tuesday during a plenary session at the European
Parliament. "We are working with member states to propose a
European mechanism to share vaccines beyond our borders," she
said, stressing that the mechanism would get vaccines to poorer
countries "before COVAX is fully operational", referring to the
global scheme co-led by the World Health Organisation set up
last summer to ensure a fair distribution of COVID-19 shots
across the world. Kyriakides said the EU vaccine-sharing scheme
should prioritise health workers and most vulnerable people in
the Western Balkans, North Africa and poorer Sub-Saharan African
countries. She added that the EU could play a geopolitical role
in the fight against the virus. (ANSA).
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