WHO, EU launch vaccine rollout program in 6 ex-Soviet states

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s Europe director says WHO and the European Union are launching a 40-million euro ($48.5 million) program to help deploy COVID-19 vaccines in six former Soviet republics. Dr. Hans Kluge says the program will involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. He says it complements the work of an existing EU program and the WHO-backed COVAX Facility that aims to deploy vaccines for people in all countries in need. Kluge also relayed on Thursday the “good news” that the number of new confirmed infections in the 53-country WHO Europe region has declined for four straight weeks and virus-related deaths have fallen in each of the last two weeks.