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Vaccines

COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts: A Complex Global Dance

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As high-income countries rapidly implement COVID-19 vaccination programs, the challenges facing low- and middle-income nations are becoming increasingly apparent. Widespread vaccination, crucial for halting the pandemic, may be years away for many nations, due in part to logistical issues and limited access to existing vaccines. In response, middle-income countries are turning to alternative sources, including India, China, and Russia, but concerns around efficacy, regulatory approval, and vaccine accessibility remain.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the first two authorized in Europe and the US, are not well-suited for low-income countries due to storage requirements and high costs.
  • The COVAX initiative, backed by WHO, aims to provide 1.3 billion vaccine doses to low- and middle-income countries, but its distribution is slow, and the Pfizer vaccine is the only one with WHO emergency use listing.
  • Middle-income countries like Argentina, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey are cutting direct deals with manufacturers, acquiring vaccines made in India, China, and Russia, but these products have not received WHO approval.
  • The Serum Institute of India (SII) has a license to produce the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and has begun shipping to countries like Bangladesh and South Africa.
  • China's state-owned Sinopharm has approved a vaccine for general use and projects 1 billion doses in 2021; Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE have begun administering it.
  • Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in several countries, and manufacturing partnerships are in place with Indian and Turkish firms.
  • The task of vaccinating the world's population is enormous, with estimates suggesting it may take until 2024 to reach 90% global coverage.

Statistics:

  • The total doses pledged by COVAX to Africa will only cover 200 million people, or 15% of the continent's population.
  • India aims to vaccinate 300 million of its people by August 2021, which would cover less than a quarter of its population.
  • The SII projects it will produce 1.3 billion doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in 2021.
  • China has approved 1 billion doses of its Sinopharm vaccine for 2021 production.
  • Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in several countries and has manufacturing partnerships in place.

Sources:

  • The Conversation -- UK
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • The Presidency of South Africa (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/newsletters/africa-centres-disease-control-and-prevention-secures-first-tranche-covid-vaccines?s=09#overlay=batch?op=start&id=8797)
  • The Serum Institute of India (SII)
  • China's state-owned Sinopharm
  • Russia's Sputnik V vaccine
  • Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the SII
  • COVID-19 vaccines: how and when will lower-income countries get access? -- https://theconversation.com/covid-19-vaccines-how-and-when-will-lower-income-countries-get-access-152718

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