The COVAX global COVID-19 vaccine-sharing program has scaled back the number of doses allocated for North Korea, international aid organizations said, as the country has so far failed to arrange for any shipments.
A website dashboard maintained by the United Nations' children's agency, UNICEF, shows the number of doses earmarked for North Korea now stands at 1.54 million, down from as many as 8.11 million last year.
This year, COVAX is moving to needs-based vaccine allocations, so the accumulation of previously allocated doses to North Korea is no longer relevant, said a spokesperson for Gavi, the charity that helps operate the vaccine sharing program.