Rich Countries Reserve Billions Of Covid-19 Vaccine Doses Even Before There Is One

Rich Countries Reserve Billions Of Covid-19 Vaccine Doses Even Before There Is One A vaccine for Covid-19 is not yet available but many rich countries and some middle-income ones have entered partnerships to reserve vaccine doses. This shopping spree means that there will be fewer doses for billions in low-income countries. Disha Shetty Forbes

A vaccine for Covid-19 is not yet available but many rich countries and some middle-income ones have entered partnerships to reserve vaccine doses. This shopping spree means that there will be fewer doses for billions in low-income countries, according to an analysis by the Duke Global Health Innovation Center.  

Currently there are nearly 200 Covid-19 candidates that are moving forward through the development and clinical trials processes, and over ten candidates are already in Phase-3 large-scale trials, the analysis found. The confirmed purchases from countries cover nearly four billion doses of vaccines, with another five billion doses under negotiation. 

There will not be enough vaccine to cover the world’s population until 2024, according to current models taking into account the manufacturing capacity. 

“An ambitious effort to create a global system of vaccine equity is being undermined as a handful of countries—including those who made a commitment to equality—secure as many doses as they possibly can,” said Elina Urli Hodges who leads the Center’s Launch and Scale Speedometer, an initiative that identifies impediments to delivering health innovations to low-income countries. “Countries are hedging bets by making direct deals while also participating in multilateral platforms, which drives inequality and threatens to prolong a global pandemic.”

These deals by high-income and middle-income countries could result in limited doses for low-income countries. High-income countries currently hold a confirmed 2.2 billion doses, upper middle-income countries hold 544 million doses, and lower middle-income countries hold 740 million doses, the analysis found.

There is a global collaboration called COVAX formed to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 tests and vaccines. This deal covers low-income countries and the analysis suggests that while 20% of the population in low-income countries is likely to receive vaccine, some high-income countries have reserved enough doses to vaccinate their populations several times over. ...