Vaccine plan may allow rich countries to buy more

Politicians and public health leers have publicly committed to equitably sharing any coronavirus vaccine that works, but top global initiative to make that happen may allow rich countries to reinforce ir own stockpiles while making fewer doses available for poor ones.

Activists warn that without stronger attempts to hold political, pharmaceutical and health leers accountable, vaccines will be hoarded by rich countries in an unseemly race to iculate ir populations first.

After recent uproar over United States purchasing a large amount of a new COVID-19 drug, some predict an even more disturbing scenario if a successful vaccine is developed.

Dozens of vaccines are being researched, and some countries — including Britain, France, Germany and U.S. — alrey have ordered hundreds of millions of doses before vaccines are even proven to work.

"I think our greatest fear is if we continue with a system that allows pharmaceutical companies all mopoly control over medical solutions to this pandemic, that we're going to see a situation of a bidding war essentially between rich countries that can afford to make bilateral deals with pharmaceutical companies suck up all of available supply and even vance supplies of se vaccines and treatments when y become available, leaving huge inequity and access across globe", says Anna Marriott from Oxfam International.

While country can afford to buy doses of every potential vaccine candidate, many poor ones can't afford to place such speculative bets at all.

key initiative to help m is led by Gavi, global vaccine alliance started by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that buys vaccines for about 60% of world's children.

In a document sent to potential dors last month, Gavi said those giving money to its new "Covax Facility" would have " opportunity to benefit from a larger portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines."

Gavi told dor governments that when an effective vaccine is found within its pool of experimental shots, those countries would receive doses for 20% of ir population. Those shots could be used as each nation wished.

That means rich countries can sign deals on ir own with drugmakers and n also get -strings-attached allocations from Gavi.

dor countries are "encourd (but t required) to donate vaccines if y have more than y need," document says.

Dr. Seth Berkley, Gavi's CEO, says alliance discussions are ongoing with countries that have bilateral deals.

"Right w, re's vaccine for eir developing countries for upper middle-income countries or for some high income countries that don't have bilateral deals. We're trying to solve that problem," he said.

"In solving that problem, what we've basically said is we'll make doses available to lower income countries and lower middle-income countries at same time as upper middle income and high-income countries. That's fair thing to do. We will meet with those countries and have a discussion. If those countries have a bilateral deal and y're getting doses, my sense, and we have to agree on this, is that y should go to back of queue," Berkley said.

Berkley said Gavi needed to make investing in a global vaccine initiative attractive for rich countries. Gavi would try to persue those countries that if y ordered vaccines alrey, y should t attempt to obtain more, he said.

But he ackwledged re was enforcement mechanism.

"If, at end of day, those legal agreements are broken or countries seize assets or don't allow provision of vaccines (to developing countries), that's a problem," Berkley said.

Gavi asked countries for an expression of intent from those interested in joining its initiative by last Friday. It h expected about four dozen high and middle income countries to sign up, in dition to nearly 90 developing countries.

Richard Hatchett, CEO of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Invations, which is working with Gavi and ors, said y would be talking in coming weeks with countries who h signed deals with drug companies to secure ir own supplies.

One possibility: y might ask countries to contribute ir private vaccine stockpile to global pool in exchange for access to whichever experimental candidate proves effective.

Last month, Gavi and CEPI signed a $750 million deal with AstraZeneca to give developing countries 300 million doses of a shot being developed by Oxford University.

But that deal happened after drug company h alrey signed contracts with Britain and U.S., who are first in line to get vaccine deliveries in fall.

"We'll have to find a solution because some of se arrangements have been me and I think we have to be pragmatic about it. I think we also have to stick to our guns. reason we've set facility up is to, one achieve equitable access and two, to end pandemic and that's what we're trying to do and solutions that are compatible with those objectives, I think we'll have to be open to discussing," he said.

World Health Organization has previously said it hopes to secure two billion doses for people in lower-income countries by end of 2021, including through initiatives like Gavi's. About 85% of world's 7.8 billion people live in developing countries.

(Im credit: AP)