Analysis: G7’s billion vaccine plan counts some past pledges, limiting impact

A G7 plan to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries will have limited impact because it includes some previous pledges, but it still offers a small lifeline to a global vaccine buying system, some experts said.

Leaders from the Group of Seven major economies announced the move on Friday. A U.S. initiative announced on Thursday to donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) vaccine is part of the G7 pledge.

Many of the promised doses will flow through COVAX, a global vaccine buying system backed by the World Health Organization and Gavi, the…