GLOBAL VAX INEQUITY
In just a few months, from zero to production of 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of May has been an impressive feat for the pharma sector. What’s even more laudable is that this was accomplished after over 200 clinical trials and over 300 worldwide partnerships and collaborations. Airfinity has estimated (as on May 19, 2021) the availability of 11 billion doses by the end of 2021, although the estimation includes other vaccines too, which are in earlier stages of trial and expected to become available this year.
Considering that the world population is almost 8 billion, 16 billion doses would be required. Of which, more than 2.8 billion doses have been administered (till June 25, 2021) vaccinating 18.3 per cent population, as per the Bloomberg vaccine tracker. But it is not a simple mathematical calculation as it seems. It has, inadvertently, created a much deeper socio economic inequity and divide. Rich countries are getting vaccinated more than 30 times faster than poorer countries.
So, there are countries that will complete vaccination by the end of the year. And, there are countries which, going by their current rate, would take many more years.
For instance, out of the 80 low income countries that received vaccines under the Covax programme launched for equitable distribution, over 40 of them are either out of vaccine or soon would be. Covax programme was to distribute 1.8 billion doses to 90 poor and developing countries by 2022, of which 88 million have been distributed. Even the planned 1.8 billion too would be sufficient to vaccinate only 18 per cent of the population.
No wonder, this deep divide made vaccines dominated the proceeding of the recent G7 meeting. The point of contention was related to a waiver in Intellectual Property Rules (IPRs) to allow countries to increase vaccine production speedily at more locations. Its need can be understood from the difference in the vaccination rate in G7 countries and low income countries. It is 6.4 million people a day versus mere 63,000 people a day respectively.
Urgency versus IPR is a typical issue to occur in such an emergency situation caused by the pandemic. Considering the vaccine makers’ huge investments in research with a lot of uncertainty in results, their claim to make money from their highly invested product cannot be just brushed aside. Except the US, all other countries at G7 were favouring vaccine makers’ contention.
On the other hand, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ & Associations has released five steps for urgently advancing vaccine equity. Among that, it asks vaccine producers to undertake all practicable efforts to maximise vaccine output, determine how to quickly facilitate scale up needed for manufacturing and has also urged the government to eliminate trade barriers for facilitating cross border supply of raw materials and vaccines. But it is silent over the point of giving up IPRs to increase production sites.
The vaccine makers and the G7 countries must realise that increasing the production by waiving IPRs for early massive vaccination is required not merely for a humanitarian cause. It is the requirement of the entire world that the COVID-19 is eradicated as soon as possible.
This is particularly important due to the threat of the Delta plus variant which could easily bypass one’s immunity. Though uncertain, there is still a possibility that such a variant could strike hard without sparing the rich countries either.
Eradicating COVID-19 by vaccinating the entire population, in the shortest time frame possible, is in everyone’s interest. Cooperation at all levels for both the sides – producers as well as poorer countries – to find some via media to increase the production, is essential. It is an issue that is no longer restricted to some countries and some vaccine producers. It is a matter of global safety and bringing everything on track as soon as possible.