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Moderna Signs Deal on Variant-Adapted COVID Shots for World’s Poorest

A bottle containing the new Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID 19 vaccine stands ready to be drawn into syringes at the centre of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), that opened for the public to get the forth booster dose againt COVID, in Geneva, Switzerland, 10 October 2022. (EPA)
A bottle containing the new Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID 19 vaccine stands ready to be drawn into syringes at the centre of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), that opened for the public to get the forth booster dose againt COVID, in Geneva, Switzerland, 10 October 2022. (EPA)
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Moderna Signs Deal on Variant-Adapted COVID Shots for World’s Poorest

A bottle containing the new Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID 19 vaccine stands ready to be drawn into syringes at the centre of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), that opened for the public to get the forth booster dose againt COVID, in Geneva, Switzerland, 10 October 2022. (EPA)
A bottle containing the new Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID 19 vaccine stands ready to be drawn into syringes at the centre of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), that opened for the public to get the forth booster dose againt COVID, in Geneva, Switzerland, 10 October 2022. (EPA)

Moderna Inc has agreed to provide its new variant-adapted COVID-19 vaccine to the global scheme aiming to deliver shots to the world's poorest people.

The biotech company and vaccine alliance GAVI will cancel their existing supply deal for vaccines based on the original coronavirus strain. Instead, Moderna will supply up to 100 million doses of its new, variant-adapted vaccines at its lowest available price from 2023.

GAVI leads the COVAX initiative alongside the World Health Organization and other global bodies. The scheme has delivered 1.79 billion doses of COVID vaccine to 146 countries, including nearly 186 million doses of Moderna's original shot.

While at first the initiative struggled for shots as wealthy countries snapped up limited supply, this year it has had a glut of the original vaccines, prompting negotiations to try to better align supply with demand.

Moderna's bivalent COVID vaccine, containing both the original coronavirus strain and the BA.1 Omicron variant, has had approval from regulators worldwide.

GAVI chief executive Seth Berkley said the new agreement was a "critical step for equitable access" to allow lower income countries to use the modified vaccines as they see fit.

Many wealthier countries have started using the vaccine in booster campaigns.

Negotiations with other vaccine manufacturers to adjust supply agreements are going on, GAVI said.

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Varieties

Cafe in Libya Champions Recycling and Sustainability

The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
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Cafe in Libya Champions Recycling and Sustainability

The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP

In Libya's capital, a cafe's sleek exterior gives little hint of the vibrant space inside, built entirely from recycled materials to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war.

Lamma, which means "gathering" or "hangout" in Arabic, has become a cultural hub for locals and other visitors, featuring an art gallery that showcases Libyan artists, and hosts events and workshops.

But its central mission, its owner said, is raising awareness of an eco-friendly lifestyle in Libya, where green initiatives are scarce as people grapple with the aftermath of a gruelling conflict.

"We use materials that were abandoned in the streets, such as rubber from tyres, wood from trees and construction waste" to build the cafe, said Louay Omran Burwais, an architect who designed and founded Lamma.

"The idea is to show people that what is thrown in the street and may seem ugly or useless is actually still valuable," he told AFP.

- 'New mindset' -

Behind the long, narrow door into Lamma, visitors are greeted with a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.

The plant-covered walls contrast with a web of suspended metal scraps, alcoves and slide tunnels that children swoop down through.

"There are no places like this in Libya," said Roula Ajjawi, Lamma's art director. "We base everything on one aspect that we consider very important: recycling."

Families gather at Lamma on Thursdays, the start of the Libyan weekend, when the cafe holds art workshops for children.

Others borrow books from the venue's small library.

Burwais says his team hopes recycling and other eco-friendly practices, which remain rare, start up in Libya, which currently has no recycling facilities.

Visitors to Lamma will recognize familiar everyday objects repurposed throughout the space, Burwais said, but they will "start seeing them differently. We are here to foster a new mindset".

In Libya, the plastic, metal, and glass left from over a decade of civil war destruction are rarely, if ever, reused or recycled, Ajjawi said.

More often, they are abandoned in nature and on the streets, occasionally washed into the Mediterranean by rain and wind.

But with initiatives like Lamma, objects once destined for the landfill are transformed into works of art -- a concept now catching on with locals.

"I love this place," said Riyad Youssef, now a Lamma regular. "The food is great, the service is excellent, and I appreciate the commitment to reducing waste. Every idea here is amazing."