Covid-19 vaccine shortages hit global supply initiative, halting rollouts

Out of 80 nations that received jabs through Covax, 40 are on the brink of running out of doses

A string of nations across Africa, Asia and other regions have run out of Covid-19 vaccines or are on the brink of doing so, months after receiving first shipments from a global program meant to equitably distribute the shots.

When the supplies arrived in developing countries earlier this year through the Covax effort, they were seen as an important step in narrowing a glaring gap in global access. Today, many of those same countries are facing vaccine shortages and are unsure when they will receive donations from wealthy countries.

A World Health Organization adviser on Monday said that of 80 lower-income countries