Access to vaccines Access to vaccines At present the question of whether or not stateless people will be able to access vaccines remains unclear in most countries that UNHCR has information about. As of 26 May, some 166 States globally have begun vaccination campaigns.4 In order to be effective, vaccination programs need to be as inclusive as possible of all persons resident on the territory, and considerations as to which groups are prioritized for the vaccine should be based on public health considerations. At present, however, the question of whether or not stateless people will be able to access vaccines remains unclear in most countries that UNHCR has information about. As explained in more detail below, the majority of countries that have provided information about their plans to UNHCR have not clearly addressed the question of the inclusion of stateless people one way or the other. In addition, it seems that most States have not yet determined how to address the situation of people who have no legal proof of their identity, a problem facing many stateless people. The present moment is therefore a critical juncture for States and others to consider these issues carefully and to share best practices in relation to them. 2 Equitable access across countries Public health experts understood from the start of the pandemic that once vaccines became available, equitable and ultimately universal access to vaccination would be key. This triggered global leaders to launch the COVAX Facility,5 a global collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and production of COVID-19 vaccines so as to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country. The initial aim is for vaccines to be made available as quickly as possible to at least 20% of the populations of all 190 participating countries or territories and so that all States can target those at highest risk of contracting the virus, including health care workers, and those most vulnerable to suffering severe consequences if they do. This includes 92 low- and middle-income countries eligible for support through the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC), a financing instrument designed to support equitable access to vaccines regardless of income level. As of 31 May, COVAX had shipped over 77 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 127 participants.6 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STATELESS POPULATIONS