World Bank approves $12 bln for COVID-19 vaccines

The World Bank said Tuesday that it approved 12 billion U.S. dollars for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments.

The financing, aimed at supporting the vaccination of up to a billion people, "is part of an overall World Bank Group package of up to 160 billion dollars through June 2021 to help developing countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic," the bank said in a statement.