The unequal scramble for coronavirus vaccines — by the numbers

‘Wealthy countries have struck deals to buy more than two billion doses of coronavirus vaccine in a scramble that could leave limited supplies in the coming year. Meanwhile, an international effort to acquire vaccines for low- and middle-income countries is struggling to gain traction.’

Read here (Nature, August 24, 2020)

COVAX: Ensuring global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines

‘The WHO and other international groups, such as CEPI and GAVI, have established the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility to encourage and coordinate donations from high-income countries in order to support the distribution of vaccine doses to lower-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may not be able to purchase sufficient vaccine on their own or compete against wealthier countries to secure access to early doses without external support...

According to a GAVI press release of July 15: ‘Seventy-five countries submit expressions of interest to COVAX Facility, joining up to 90 further countries which could be supported by the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). The COVAX Facility, and the AMC within it, is designed to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for every country in the world, rich and poor, to make rapid progress towards slowing the pandemic. Interest from governments representing more than 60% of the world’s population offers ‘tremendous vote of confidence’ in the effort to ensure truly global access to COVID-19 vaccines, once developed.’

Read here (GAVI, July 15, 2020) and here

Race for virus vaccine could leave poor countries behind

‘As the race for a vaccine against the new coronavirus intensifies, rich countries are rushing to place advance orders for the inevitably limited supply to guarantee their citizens get immunised first, leaving significant questions about whether developing countries will get any vaccine before the pandemic ends.

‘Earlier this month, the United Nations, International Red Cross and Red Crescent, and others said it was a "moral imperative" that everyone have access to a "people's vaccine". But such grand declarations are unenforceable and without a detailed strategy, the allocation of vaccines could be messy.’

Read here (Aljazeera, June 18, 2020)

Race, ethnicity data to be required with coronavirus tests starting August 1

‘Data on who is being tested “are rarely being reported to CDC in usable format,” Giroir said during a conference call with journalists. “It is critical for us to ensure that there is equitable access to testing, especially for underserved minorities. And without the data we are now requiring, there is simply no way to determine that.”

Read here (Washington Post, June 5, 2020)

World leaders make historic commitments to provide equal access to vaccines for all

‘The Global Vaccine Summit, hosted by the UK, raises US$ 8.8 billion from 32 donor governments and 12 foundations, corporations and organisations to immunise 300 million children and support the global fight against COVID-19. US$ 567 million also raised for new innovative financing instrument to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. Boris Johnson: “Together we rise to fulfil the greatest shared endeavour of our lifetime – the triumph of humanity over disease, now and for the generations that follow.”

Read here (Gavi, June 4, 2020)