Vaccine tug-of-war infecting Europe
The Ministry of Health is working to ‘urgently clarify’ whether NZ will be affected by new EU rules. Brittney Deguara reports.
The Ministry of Health is scrambling to find out whether New Zealand will be affected by new vaccine restrictions put in place by the European Union.
The European Union (EU) has hit pause on Covid-19 vaccine exports for two distributors, in a move labelled ‘‘concerning’’ but not surprising by one clinical microbiologist.
In a bid to ensure access to vaccines within Europe, the EU has introduced a measure requiring exports to be authorised by member states before being shipped out.
This decision directly impacts the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, two of the vaccines in New Zealand’s portfolio.
‘‘It is certainly concerning,’’ said Professor David Murdoch, co-leader of The Infection Group at Otago University, and deputy chair of the Science and Technical Advisory Group for the Government’s Covid-19 Vaccine Strategy Taskforce.
About 100 countries are exempt from the export restrictions but New Zealand is not on the list – nor are Australia and Britain. The restrictions will be in place until the end of March.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the ministry was ‘‘concerned’’ and was working to ‘‘urgently clarify’’ whether New Zealand would be affected.
‘‘It is up to the pharmaceutical companies to meet the agreed timing schedule for delivery,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘Vaccine manufacturing relies on global supply chains and it is in all countries’ interests to ensure the smooth functioning of these supply chains, and to actively facilitate the flow of Covid-19 vaccines and vaccine-related goods.’’
Murdoch said the ‘‘highly politicised’’ decision to restrict global vaccine distribution appeared to be related to supply concerns within the EU. It only applied to exports from companies the EU had advance purchase agreements with.
This kind of response is not new, and Murdoch said it predated Covid-19. ‘‘It has been [an issue] just in general getting vaccines into poorer countries. It is an old problem, it has now got a new context and we will see more of this as things go forward if the supply chain does not keep up with the demand.’’
Vaccine nationalism has been a concern for many, including the directorgeneral of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
‘‘Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it is shortsighted and self-defeating,’’ he said.
‘‘We will not end the pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere.’’
The New Zealand Government has prepurchase agreements for four Covid-19 vaccines – 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine (enough for 750,000 people); up to 5 million of the Janssen Pharmaceutica single-dose vaccine; 10.72 million doses of the two-dose Novavax vaccine (enough for 5.36 million people); and 7.6 million doses of the twodose
AstraZeneca vaccine (enough for 3.8 million people). No vaccine has been approved by Medsafe yet.
‘‘From New Zealand’s perspective, there was always the concern [that] we are small, we have done pretty well compared with other countries ... we are going to be last in the queue,’’ Murdoch said.
This may become reality. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern previously said producers might send vaccines to countries with high rates of community transmission first. ‘‘New Zealand has done a fantastic job of making sure that we are in the mix for early vaccine purchase.
‘‘We have purchased four vaccines and we have got agreements in place for those vaccines but now pharmaceutical companies are in the position of making a decision around when those are delivered,’’ Ardern said.
‘‘It is only right those countries that are seeing devastating rates of death are receiving those vaccines.
‘‘New Zealand is in a very different position and I think everyone in New Zealand understands that.’’
There may be a way around the EU restrictions. The Australian Government has an agreement to manufacture 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and New Zealand might be able to get some of these doses.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins previously said AstraZeneca determined where it shipped from and where it shipped to but he thought a manufacturer just a three-hour flight away was ‘‘probably going to be a more likely source of supply than Europe’’.
There are reports Pfizer is considering manufacturing more doses in the United States. The company said earlier in the week it was committed to delivering the agreed amount to New Zealand.
Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said that banning exports could become a ‘‘lose-lose situation rather than a win for Europe’’.