after two years of Pandemic, show of Corona virus vaccine exceeds demand in Many areas, but there is a gap remains in Vaccination rates between rich and poor countries.
On Friday, Gavi, who co-led Covax global Distribution scheme, holding a summit for more funds to process issue of inequality in Serum access.
mass production
Over 13 billion doses have been produced since the pandemic, 11 billion of managed, according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Associations (IFPMA).
Science research group Airfinity expects 9 billion more This potion is produced year. Pfizer alone plans To make 4 billion doses.
distance demand This can be reduced to 6 billion doses yearIFPMA’s director-general Thomas Coeny said.
Since mid-2021, global Vaccine production overrun global Serum demand Queenie told AFP (AFP) next year production can exceed demand 1.3 billion to 3.1 billion doses added.
Many rich countries are now close to oversupply. The European Union and the Group of Seven countries She has a surplus of 497 million doses at the end of last Month.
There are concerns that the doses could go to waste. COVID-19 vaccines have a relatively short shelf life – AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines have six- End date of the month.
Irfinity says 241 million doses have been sold so far during the pandemic.
Billions of vaccinators
However, billions of people remain Not immune around worldbone of With them in Developing countries.
Kovacs, that international public-private Partnership led by WHO and Gavi, provided 1.4 billion doses to 145 countries – So short of Two billion doses are planned by the end of 2021.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns of inequality in Serum access can lead to me emergence of newmay more infectious variants.
WHO wants 70% of every country population Vaccinate by July.
But the records are mixed.
nearly 80% of France population for For example, he received two doses. but only 15% of The population on continent of Africa has been fully vaccinated, according to Oxford University data.
an average of 42% of The population of 92 from low and middle income countries sharing in Covax got two doses.
Inequality in vaccines is the biggest moral failure of for us times And people And countries They pay the price, that’s what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said earlier year.
Kovacs says It now has enough doses to vaccinate about 45% of The population in 92 countries Receive donations. but 25 of these countries lack of infrastructure for Active immunization campaign.
Making matters worse, many overgrown countries Doses are donated very close to their expiration date.
UNICEF supplies division director ETLiva Cadelly said so in Almost December more More than 100 million doses have been rejected, “mostly due to the product’s shelf life.”
Gavi decided that the doses should be valid for at least 10 weeks on coming in countries.
Patent deadlock
countries like I always called South Africa and India for World Trade Organization (WTO) for intellectual comment property rights for Vaccines and anti-COVID-19 treatments, so you can dramatically increase production.
After fierce opposition from medicine giantsa first A compromise has been reached between the United States, the European Union, India and South Africa last Month.
but several key countries like Switzerland has not yet sign on. Doctors without borders also says there “key determinants” in The deal, such as covering only vaccines and geographic boundaries.
Pharmaceutical companies argue that patents are not the same real problem.
Queenie of IFPMA, A big Lobby Pharma groupsaid the problem It was now logistical.
“What were we? need he is money for storage and transportation more Trained health workers, campaigns to counter misinformation: these are the real challenges Not a waiver of the patent.”
new variables
Current vaccines target the virus that has swept world in 2020. While they are significantly reduce The risk of Serious illness from COVID-19, but they partially save protection – especially against newer Variants such as omicron are now prevalent.
Several vaccine manufacturers have begun testing vaccines targeting Omicron. they have hit But it could be available in A few months, if the health authorities agree.
Despite the billions that have yet to receive a first Potion, the United States, Britain, France and Israel began to roll out Fourth, starting with The most vulnerable.
On Wednesday, the European Union’s drug control body approved a second booster for people 80 years old and over.
“No country can promote way out of epidemic,” Tedros warned.
