COVID-19 vaccines: how to ensure Africa has access

Abstract

L ast month, a grand experiment was launched. Its aim? To speed up the development of COVID-19 vaccines and make sure they are distributed equitably among higher-and lower-income countries. This welcome endeavour is called the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) initiative. It is co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. As of 1 October, 167 countries have signed up, covering nearly two-thirds of the global population. More have expressed interest, according to Gavi. The initiative covers several vaccines currently in testing. It aims to ensure access to whichever ones prove to be effective. Under this scheme, even poor nations should have enough vaccines to protect health-care workers and the most vulnerable 20% of their populations. Still, Africa has reasons to worry. Already, several high-income countries have signed their own contracts with individual companies to buy selected vaccines. The United States, for example, has made deals worth upwards of US$6 billion with several firms. An analysis by the international charity Oxfam finds that, even if all five of the most-advanced vaccine candidates succeed, there will not be enough vaccine for most of the world's people until 2022. We've seen a scramble for access to

Who Will Pay for the COVID-19 Vaccines for Africa?

“…The health systems have improved as they gear toward safeguarding populations from vaccine-preventable diseases, carrying out routine vaccination plan and enhanced emergency diseases responses. 2,4 The same can be achieved in responses to COVID-19 on the continent. These achievements were supported by the vaccination programs set up in response to the disease spread.…”

“…Plans, strategies, and various interventions have been carried out in Africa to curb many public health threats. 2 The role of vaccines in mitigating disease morbidity and mortality around the globe cannot be overemphasized. This stems from the protection from target diseases that vaccines offer to population at risk.…”

“…African countries in the past have experienced inequity with antiretroviral drugs, leading to death of millions of Africans in the past. 2 This past experience warrants the panic of African governments over what COVID-19 vaccines have to offer.…”

COVID-19 vaccines: Equitable access, vaccine hesitancy and the dilemma of emergency use approvals

“…For us in Africa, a concerted effort from all countries in the region is required to develop a co-ordinated strategy to access the vaccines, and also to finance, develop, manufacture and deliver the vaccines throughout the continent. [12] Evidence-based communication strategies drawing from African voices are critical to address vaccine hesitancy and foster vaccine confidence. It remains to be seen how African regulators will respond to emergency use requests.…”

COVID-19 Infection among People with HIV/AIDS in Africa: Knowledge Gaps, Public Health Preparedness and Research Priorities

“…Furthermore, even though substantial progress has been made in the discovery and development of effective COVID-19 vaccines, it will take some time before it is accessible for up to 60% of Africans to induce herd immunity in the continent. 38 This is because large scale importation of sufficient amount of vaccine might not be feasible, due to cost, storage and time to delivery of the vaccine products. In the interim, convalescent plasma has sometimes been used as a transient treatment for severe COVID-19 in the absence of an effective therapy or vaccine.…”