A group of wealthy nations representing 13 per cent of the global population has already bought up more than half of the promised doses of future Covid-19 vaccines, AFP reported quoting a report by Oxfam.

“Access to a life-saving vaccine shouldn't depend on where you live or how much money you have,” said Robert Silverman of Oxfam America.

“The development and approval of a safe and effective vaccine is crucial, but equally important is making sure the vaccines are available and affordable to everyone. Covid-19 anywhere is Covid-19 everywhere.”

The non-governmental organisation analysed deals struck by pharmaceuticals and vaccine producers for the five leading vaccine candidates currently in late-stage trials, based on data collected by the analytics company Airfinity. The five vaccines analysed were from AstraZeneca, Gamaleya/Sputnik, Moderna, Pfizer and Sinovac.

Oxfam calculated the combined production capacity of these five vaccine candidates at 5.9 billion doses, enough for three billion people given that all five future vaccines will or are highly likely to require two doses.