The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allocated 750 millions dollars 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 company AstraZeneca, which works with organizations fighting to protect the world from infectious diseases such as COVID-19: Serum Institute of India (SII), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) of which two the latter are directly funded by 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 to low- and middle-income countries, with 400 million to be disbursed before 2021.
Overall, AstraZeneca he says that it can produce two billion doses of AZD1222 "without profit during the pandemic". The US 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 at Business Insider. "It's almost hard to deny these things because they're so stupid and weird."
