As “vaccine nationalism” has become a growing concern, several foreign organizations (including the World Health Organization) put their diplomatic weight on the COVID-19 Global Access (COVAX) initiative, encouraging countries to sign an agreement to manufacture 2 billion doses of vaccines. available until the end of 2021.
To date, 172 countries, in addition to Australia, have joined the initiative; they will now have to make this commitment binding until 18 September and start investing in vaccine studies until 9 October.
There are some notable exceptions. Last week, the United States withdrew from the plan and instead sought to approve it alone. Russia must not join either, and China has not yet registered.
This is that some of the world’s largest countries have refused to participate, weakening the collective objectives of the COVAX initiative by purchasing vaccine stocks.
Why vaccine hoarding is a concern
Vaccine nationalism occurs when governments point to agreements with pharmaceutical brands to supply vaccines to their own populations before they have them in other countries.
While we expect governments to take these steps to their citizens, the problem is that it creates ups and beyond that leave poorer countries without access to major vaccines.
Because no one knows which vaccine will be effective, some rich countries are making their bets by buying giant amounts of multiple vaccines, before scientists have completed clinical trials and shown that vaccines are effective.
In total, countries have already signed agreements to unload 3. 7 billion doses from Western drug manufacturers, according to a report last week.
To date, the UK has been the worst offender, with a recent estimate that it appears to have pre-ordered enough vaccine for five consistent doses of the child. The government also announced its goal of pointing out new trademark agreements to secure even more supplies. .
Last week, Canada also signed agreements with two corporations to ensure a guarantee of 88 million doses, enough for each citizen to be vaccinated at least twice.
Is COVAX the “fastest way” to end the pandemic?
WHO has made an effort to ensure that all countries join the COVAX initiative, and Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that it is “the fastest way to end this pandemic”.
Certainly, COVAX is a step in the right direction. The initiative creates the world’s largest expected market commitment to vaccines, overcoming all agreements that countries conclude independently.
Low-income countries that have joined the plan will also have access to safe and affordable vaccines that they may not otherwise have access to in the coming years.
While WHO and its key partners, GAVI Global Vaccine Alliance and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, are in fact praised for launching this initiative, this is not the panacea that some claim it is, for a number of reasons.
That of a global vaccine bank
The first challenge is that COVAX does not prevent its countries from entering into their own independent agreements with manufacturers, as the UK, Canada and recently Australia have done. This can put more pressure on what are already limited supplies.
These agreements are expected to further increase prices, making them even more unaffordable for many poorer countries.
While some brands have committed to making vaccines for nonprofits, others have not.
One challenge at the moment is that the commitment of 2 billion doses by the end of 2021 is too low, as maximum vaccines in the latest Phase 3 clinical trials require up to two or 3 doses to confer immunity.
When divided among all coVAX countries, it means that the country will get a very small supply, as a result, this can inspire governments to seek other independent agreements to meet the demands of their populations.
A third challenge is that even if COVAX doesn’t put all of its eggs in a basket (it helps nine vaccines in progression and evaluates nine more for imaginable help), the 2 billion doses are likely to come from several manufacturers.
As a result, some governments may not be content with the vaccine assigned to them in the plan, that is, if a vaccine appears to be more effective than or is produced through a country they do not trust.
This can lead to unused disagreements and vaccines while the policy is resolved.
Which means the absence of the United States
President Donald Trump’s resolve not to enroll in COVAX is potentially one of the most serious, as it has implications for the United States and the world.
By refusing to enroll in COVAX, the United States has voluntarily opted out of a series of promising vaccines that are still in development. This is a difficult strategy, especially if candidate vaccines in the United States are less effective than others.
While this can be corrected through Trump through separate agreements with COVAX-backed vaccine developers, it is likely to turn out to be a very costly exercise that would also force the United States to wait for vaccine orders from other countries to run. .
Some experts have pointed out that due to the potential lack of the first set of vaccines, the U. S. economy will suffer and prolong the pandemic, while others noted that the extra “go alone” tarnishes America’s reputation as a reliable partner.
In any case, this is short-sighted given that WHO is already under pressure that countries do not want to decide between COVAX and to signal independent agreements with vaccine manufacturers.
A first step, but more action is needed
A COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be the only way for the world to regain something like life in general. All countries will have to have access to an effective vaccine, and the COVAX initiative has recently offered the most productive way to achieve this.
On its own, COVAX would possibly not be enough. We want a global commitment and framework on how governments will improve the manufacture and distribution of a safe and effective vaccine.