The UN Refugee Agency called on all countries to expedite vaccination and remove barriers to vaccines for 82.4 million forcibly displaced people in the world.
Four months after the first delivery of the new crown pneumonia vaccine in the COVAX facility (COVAX facility), the UN refugee agency called on countries to expedite vaccination and remove the barriers to 82.4 million forcibly displaced people in the world to obtain vaccines.

The United Nations Refugee Agency is monitoring the inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers in COVID-19 vaccination plans and implementation in 162 countries.

The UN Refugee Agency has confirmed that out of 126 countries with a refugee population of more than 500, 123 have explicitly or pledged to include refugees in their vaccination programs. Of the 96 countries with more than 500 asylum-seekers, 93 countries have adopted the same measures against asylum-seekers.

In addition, the UN refugee agency can confirm that refugees and asylum-seekers in 91 of the 162 countries monitored have begun to receive the new crown pneumonia vaccine. The United Nations Refugee Agency appreciates countries that have included forcedly displaced persons in their vaccine promotion plans and urges other countries to follow this approach.

Ann Burton, head of the UNHCR Public Health Division, said: “We have seen a firm commitment from all parts of the world not to exclude refugees from the new coronary pneumonia vaccination program. However, barriers to vaccination still exist. Countries need to make greater efforts to ensure that they fulfill their commitments to include refugees in their vaccination programs."

When registering or vaccinating, some countries require identification documents, but this is often not available to refugees. Some countries have set up online systems, which may prevent people who do not have access to the Internet or who do not understand computers from registering for vaccinations.

In some countries, vaccination sites are far away from where refugees live, which may become an obstacle for refugees to seek vaccination. This is particularly the case in sub-Saharan Africa, where new coronavirus cases are on the rise, in sharp contrast to the downward trend observed in many parts of the world.

Other factors that hinder people from getting vaccinated include: actual or expected costs of vaccine services, language barriers, as well as lack of information, false news, and limited opportunities to answer questions, all of which may cause people to hesitate to get vaccinated.

The UN Refugee Agency welcomes the efforts of countries to overcome these obstacles. Moldova and Serbia are the first to provide vaccines to people living in asylum centers, and Serbia has also completed vaccinations for refugees living in private residences. Senegal and Cameroon allow refugees to register at designated health institutions and city councils near their communities. Portugal has set up a special registration system for undocumented persons to ensure that no one is excluded from the vaccine promotion program. At the same time, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the region's largest awareness-raising campaign for the new crown epidemic has covered more than 1.7 million people.

The UNHCR stands ready to work with all countries to ensure that 20% of refugees are vaccinated by the end of 2021 in accordance with the targets set by the new crown pneumonia vaccine implementation plan. The United Nations Refugee Agency also urged countries with excess vaccine doses to share vaccines with low- and middle-income countries, and provided support for the new coronary pneumonia vaccine implementation plan.

Burton said: "In addition to moral responsibility, this is also in our common self-interest. As long as the epidemic is still raging in one place, it will pose a threat to everyone everywhere."