COVAX, a UN-backed global immunisation initiative comprised of health bodies and non-profit organisations, was created in 2020 to provide COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle-income countries that might otherwise lack access. The initiative's success has largely depended on receiving sufficient funding from donor countries in order to be able to secure sufficient doses.
The United States pledged more funding to the COVAX program than any other nation at US$4 billion in 2020 and 2021. Germany and Japan pledged the next highest amounts in funding at just over US$1 billion each. China, on the other hand, pledged only US$100 million, preferring direct donations outside of the COVAX scheme.
Funding pledged for COVAX from 2020-2021