WHO sees poorer countries getting first COVID vaccines this quarter

FILE PHOTO: The word "COVID-19" is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration taken November 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

GENEVA (Reuters) - The first modest batches of coronavirus vaccines are expected to go out under the COVAX scheme for poorer countries in the first quarter of this year, the top World Health Organization scientist said on Friday.

"In the second and third quarters off this year is when we are really going to start seeing volumes," Soumya Swaminathan told a virtual briefing in Geneva.