The vaccine-sharing facility Covax has said it should be able to provide Covid jabs to no more than 20 per cent of people in poorer countries this year, far fewer than anticipated, AFP reports.

Covax acknowledged that it now expects to access just 1.425 billion vaccine doses this year — far short of its goal of delivering two billion doses by year-end. “This is enough to protect 20pc of the population, or 40pc of all adults, in all 92 AMC economies with the exception of India,” the Covax statement said.