The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) allocated $750 million to produce and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the University of Oxford.
The money comes from a deal with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, η οποία συνεργάζεται με οργανώσεις που αγωνίζονται για την προστασία του κόσμου από μολυσματικές ασθένειες όπως τον COVID-19: Serum Institute of India (SII), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) και Gavi Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) εκ των οποίων οι δύο τελευταίες χρηματοδοτούνται άμεσα από τον Gates.
Millions of Gates will support the delivery of 300 million doses of a vaccine called AZD1222. The first missions are expected to begin by the end of 2020.
A separate licensing agreement with SII will provide one billion installments in low- and middle-income countries, while the 400 million will be allocated before 2021.
Overall, AstraZeneca he says that it can produce two billion doses of AZD1222 “without profit during the pandemic”. The USA and the UK have already planned to receive 300 + 100 million doses.
This move is in line with Gates' strategy for the rapid development of a vaccine COVID-19: "Develop seven vaccines at once and hopefully one of them will work - even if billions of dollars are wasted."
Indeed, there is currently no guarantee that AZD1222 will prove effective. The first indication will come in August, the earliest.
However, the University of Oxford is beginning trials in Phases II / III of AZD1222 with approximately 10.000 adult volunteers. AstraZeneca said that final testing will begin in some countries.
"AstraZeneca recognizes that the vaccine may not work but is committed to advancing the clinical program rapidly and increasing production," the company said.
Gates, on the other hand, has finally expressed his frustration with a persistent conspiracy theory that wants Microsoft co-founder to monitor the human race. implanting them microchips with COVID-19 vaccines.
"I have never been involved with a microchip", he said recently Gates in Business Insider. "It's almost hard to deny these things because they are so stupid and weird."