Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the World Health Organization about the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to less economically developed countries.

The UK is committed to rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. The World Health Organization (WHO) is a co-lead for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a coalition of leading international organisations and partners in the development and equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. The UK is a founding member of the ACT-Accelerator, and is represented on its Facilitation Council. The UK engages regularly with WHO and other ACT-Accelerator partners on strategic direction, resource mobilisation, and implementation.

The COVAX Facility is the vaccines pillar of the ACT-Accelerator. It aims to secure 2 billion vaccines doses in 2021, including 1.3 billion for 92 developing countries through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). The WHO provides key technical support, guidance, and assessment to countries on vaccine regulation, equitable allocation, and national deployment and vaccination plans. The UK has committed £548 million to the COVAX AMC, which aims to start vaccine deliveries in the first quarter of 2021.