The promise of equitable access to coronavirus vaccines is at “serious risk,” the World Health Organization’s chief warned on Monday.
Over 39 million doses have been distributed across at least 49 high-income countries — but just 25 doses have been administered in only one of the lowest-income countries, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.
“I need to be blunt,” he said, speaking at the WHO’s executive board meeting. ‘The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure, and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries.â€
One challenge is the dearth of collective action, he said. Referring specifically to bilateral vaccine deals, Ghebreyesus pointed out that 44 were signed in 2020 and at least 12 have already been signed this year.
These deals are one way countries are going around COVAX, the WHO mechanism designed to prevent the unequal distribution of vaccines. The result is that the deals drive up prices as countries attempt to “jump to the front of the queue,” he warned.
“The situation is compounded by the fact that most manufacturers have prioritized regulatory approvals in rich countries where the profits are highest rather than submitting full dossiers to the WHO,” added Tedros, who has called for the distribution of vaccines to health care workers and the elderly in all countries within the first 100 days of this year. Once countries cover those groups, he said, they should then prioritize getting vaccines to other countries.
“It’s in the best interest of each and every nation of earth,” he said.
He also called on vaccine manufacturers to provide real time regulatory data to the WHO.
The EU has secured contracts for 2.3 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines, while the U.K. has secured 367 million.
