‘It is right that all governments want to prioritize vaccinating their own health workers and older people first, but it is not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries be vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries. be enough vaccination for all. ”
Tedros, an Ethiopian who calls his first name, nevertheless applauded the scientific achievement behind the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines less than a year after the pandemic broke out in China, where a WHO-backed team has now been deployed to investigate the origin of the coronavirus.
“Vaccines are the shot in the arm we all need, literally and figuratively,” Tedros said. “But we now face the real danger that although vaccines give hope to some people, it still becomes a brick in the wall of inequality between the world of the world’s possession and possession.”
He noted that the WHO-supported COVAX program, which aims to allow vaccines to all countries, rich or poor, based on need, has so far secured 2 billion vaccine doses from five producers and options for a billion doses more.
“We plan to start deliveries in February,” he said. “COVAX is ready to deliver what it was created for.”
The target date may be a high order, as a major developer of vaccines for the developing world – the Serum Institute of India – has not yet confirmed a date and predicts that its implementation may not take place before March or April. .
In his opening speech, Tedros uttered some of his most difficult public words to date to vaccine manufacturers and criticized ‘bilateral transactions’ between them and countries that, according to the WTO, could undermine the effectiveness of the COVAX facility – and went on to issue of profits to raise.
“The situation is exacerbated by the fact that most manufacturers prefer the approval of regulatory priority in rich countries, where profits are highest, rather than submitting the full dossiers to the WHO,” he said.
This apparently indicates a shortage of data received from vaccine makers, according to the UN health agency, so that the WHO can approve their shots for greater emergency use.
Dr Clement Martin Auer, a board member of Austria, had sharp words and questions for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, which also co-leads COVAX with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
Auer called the principles of equal access to vaccines a ‘fantastic idea’, but blamed Auer for COVAX as ‘slow’ and unable to conclude ‘important contracts’. He defends the European Union, which among its 27 members is the richest country, to get vaccines for its 450 million citizens and to be ‘the biggest donor’ to support COVAX.
“We in the European Union were skeptical that GAVI-COVAX had the means and capabilities to fulfill its tasks and negotiate the necessary contracts and to ensure the needs of our citizens,” Auer said, adding that COVAX management ‘rejects’ proposals negotiated by GAVI and the EU.
He said GAVI-COVAX early last year did not include mRNA vaccines such as those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in the COVAX portfolio.
“This was a big mistake, considering that the mRNAs are the earliest on the market and the gold standards when it comes to COVID vaccines,” Auer said.
WHO has approved Pfzier-BioNTech for emergency use against coronavirus and may approve Moderna this week.
WHO officials or other board members did not immediately address Tedros’ problems at the meeting.
In connection with the vaccine news, Israel has entered into an agreement with Pfizer and promised to share large amounts of medical data with the international drug giant, in exchange for the continuing flow of its difficult vaccination.
Proponents say the deal could enable Israel to become the first country to vaccinate most of its population, while providing valuable research that could help the rest of the world. But critics say the deal raises major ethical concerns, including possible privacy breaches and the deepening of the global gap in access to coronavirus vaccines.
Due to the ultra-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine, it is more expensive and difficult to use than some competitors, including the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, but studies show that it is very effective. Israeli media reported that Israel paid at least 50% more than other countries for the Pfizer vaccine.