The People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA), a vaccine rights protection organization, issued a statement on the 9th, saying that in the global vaccine competition, some developed countries ordered a large number of coronavirus vaccines, enough for all their populations to be vaccinated three times (the vast majority of vaccines require two doses), while in 67 low- and middle-income countries, only 10 people only One person can be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus by the end of 2021.
High-income countries with a population of 14 percent of the world have ordered 53% of all promising COVID-19 vaccines, PVA notes. The UK, which was the first to start the coronavirus vaccine, has ordered 40 million doses of vaccine from Pfizer and 100 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that has not yet to close clinical trials.
All the coronavirus candidate vaccines currently ordered by the EU can ensure up to 2 billion doses of vaccines for member states if all of them are approved.
The United States has ordered a total of 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, half of which are from Pfizer and half from Moderna. Moderna allows the United States to order another 400 million doses of vaccine, which means that the United States can ensure at least 600 million doses of vaccine supply.
In addition, the United States has ordered 300 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, as well as hundreds of millions of candidates developed by pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson & Sanofi/Gramsox Square. U.S. President Trump also signed an executive order on the 8th, guaranteeing that vaccines developed or procured by American taxpayers will be guaranteed to be used by Americans first.
And 67 low- and middle-income countries can only obtain vaccines through the World Health Organization-led COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan (COVAX, which aims to improve the efficiency of vaccine development and lay the foundation for rapid production and large-scale and equitable universal access).
Although 172 countries have joined the COVAX program, COVAX has only guaranteed 700 million doses of vaccine supply so far, but the 92 low- and middle-income countries participating in the program have 3.6 billion people.
By analyzing the available data, PVA pointed out that some middle-income countries participating in the COVAX program, such as Brazil and Vietnam, have other access to vaccines, but for 30 low-income countries and 37 low- and middle-income countries, only 10% of the population has access to two doses of vaccination. These countries include Afghanistan, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ukraine, Syria, etc.
PVA points out that two factors contribute to the “rich-poor gap” in the coronavirus vaccine: the large “hoarding” of vaccines in high-income countries and the protection of pharmaceutical companies’ intellectual property rights.
Therefore, the PVA called on pharmaceutical companies to share the technology and intellectual property rights of the coronavirus vaccine with the World Health Organization, and called on governments to give the vaccine to developing countries.
On this issue, South Africa and India go further and demand that the World Trade Organization (WTO) suspend patents for coronavirus vaccines and therapeutic drugs and test products so that more pharmaceutical companies can produce coronavirus vaccines.
However, this proposal was opposed by members such as the United States and the European Union.
Anna Marriott, head of health policy at Oxfam, a British charity, said, “No one should be denied a life-saving vaccine because of their nationality or income level.
But unless there is a major change (the whole system), billions of people around the world may not have the opportunity to get a vaccine against the novel coronavirus in the next few years.”
The PVA noted that if the pandemic does not improve in low- and middle-income countries, thus hindering the recovery of global travel and trade, it will have a negative impact on the global economy.” The coronavirus pandemic is a global problem that requires a global solution,” said Louva Changandu, a PVA member agency, “The Front Line Against AIDS.” “The global economy will continue to suffer as long as a vaccine is not available to much of the world.”
Currently, the UK, Bahrain and Canada are leading in approving mass vaccinations for the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Bianima, Secretary-General of the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), said in an interview with the BBC a few days ago that 96% of Pfizer vaccine production has been ordered by high-income countries. Another Moderna coronavirus vaccine with good prospects has been ordered by high-income countries.
The statement also pointed out that although pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca had previously promised that 64% of the coronavirus vaccine jointly developed with Oxford University would be available to developing countries, even if production is increased, it will only reach 18% of the global population by the end of next year.
AstraZeneca’s promise of vaccine is currently fulfilled by pre-purchase agreements between China and India, which are large in large numbers. Most other developing countries do not buy it, and can only strive to achieve large-scale vaccination through the fair vaccine reserve of COVAX.
The People’s Vaccine Alliance is sponsored by the British charity Oxfam, Global Justice Action, Free Vaccines and other human rights organizations.
