Covid-19 vaccine must get to 'everyone', says WEF

It is essential that a coronavirus vaccine becomes available to all across the globe, according to the World Economic Forum.

“As distribution of the vaccine across the world becomes the next major priority of global health organisations, there is an urgent need to make sure that the vaccine reaches everyone across the world,” the forum said in a statement.

It proposed creating a pairing mechanism for vaccine innovators and vaccine manufacturers.

“It aims to protect both innovators, who will find capacity to produce, and manufacturers, who will access vaccine candidates at the right clinical development pathways — That is when they reach phase three and no earlier, hence averting the need for innovators to unilaterally and exclusively secure large capacities from individual manufacturers while their vaccines are yet unproven,” the forum said.

“The Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) accounts for the majority of vaccines produced at more than 65% in each WHO region except the European Region (EUR). This network of 40 manufacturers, located in developing countries such as India, Indonesia, South Korea, Brazil, China, SA, needs to be put to work.”

The pairing mechanism, according to the World Economic Forum, would represent a departure from the way traditional market forces are traditionally shaping the vaccine manufacturing landscape, by encouraging bilateral agreements between vaccine researchers and manufacturers.

“The current supply, even if the world were suddenly to switch en masse from manufacturing existing vaccines to manufacturing one for Covid-19, is not commensurate with the need to vaccinate populations in their billions to end the present crisis.”