When will low-income countries secure access to covid-19 vaccines?

Author: May Thongthum

Figure 1:Projected manufacturing capacity by end of 2021 of lead companies producing coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines

As the covid-19 vaccines will become available for the public later in 2021, this report analyzed the premarket purchase commitments for coronavirusdisease (covid-19) vaccines from manufacturers to recipient countries. Many high-income countries have made agreements with leading manufacturers of covid-19 vaccines to secure their covid-19 vaccine supply before they are introduced to the market. Based on the premarket purchase commitments for covid-19 vaccines, publicly announced by November 15, 2020, several high-income countries have made premarket purchase commitments of 7.48 billion doses of vaccines from 13 leading manufacturers

This number means that over half (51%) of these vaccine doses will go to high-income countries while low-and middle-income countries receive the remainder, despite these countries comprising more than 85% of the world’s population. Even if all 13 of these vaccine manufacturers were to succeed in reaching their maximum production capacity by the end of 2021, which would be 5.96 billion courses by the end of 2021, nearly a quarter of the world’s population would still not have access to a vaccine until 2022. The COVAX Facility, a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure covid-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need regardless of their identity and location, could play a significant role in ensuring access to covid-19 vaccines. Several countries have contributed to COVAX to support Advance Market Commitment (AMC), equal vaccine access, and procurement. The successful, equitable allocation of covid-19 vaccines requires unprecedented global coordination and a sustained commitment of resources—financial, logistical, and technical—from high-income countries.

References:

 Figure retrieved from https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4750)

Corum, J., & Zimmer, C. (2020, December 05). How Moderna’s Vaccine Works. Retrieved December 19, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/moderna-covid-19-vaccine.htmlSchwartz, J. (2020, December 15). Equitable global access to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines. Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4735

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