For the first time, supplies of anti-COVID vaccines for global program exceed demand

The global project to distribute COVID-19 vaccines is struggling to allocate more than 300 million available doses, in the latest sign that the problem of immunizing the world is now more a question of demand than supply.

Last year, wealthy nations applied most of the available vaccines to inoculate their own citizens first, meaning less than a third of people in low-income countries have so far been vaccinated compared with more than 70. % in developed nations.

However, as supplies and donations have increased, poorer nations face other obstacles such as gaps in the cold chain, questions about inoculation and a lack of money to support distribution networks, public health officials said.

In January, COVAX, the global vaccine program run by Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), had 436 million vaccines to allocate to countries, according to a document published in mid-February.

But low-income nations only requested 100 million doses for distribution in late May, the first time in 14 placement rounds that supply has outstripped demand, according to the COVAX Independent Vaccine Allocation Group document.

Asked for comment, a Gavi spokesperson noted that COVAX was now in a situation where there was enough current supply to meet demand, but acknowledged that distribution of the vaccines was a problem in a number of less developed nations.

“We will only close the vaccine equity gap once and for all if we can help countries deliver it quickly and at scale”, indicated the spokesman.

The vaccines that are not assigned by COVAX in this round may be placed again later.

As rich countries open up their economies, the WHO and other public health experts warn that the slow vaccination process in poorer regions will give the coronavirus a chance to mutate again and potentially create new variants.

Refrigerators and freezers

The low demand for vaccines in the January allocation is explained in part by recent increases in supplies. COVAX has already allocated tens of millions of doses to be delivered in the first quarter.

Officials involved in distributing vaccines said that meant countries were reluctant to accept more doses they couldn’t use.

A summit to address distribution challenges will be held on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria, convened by the African Union Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance with the assistance of WHO, Gavi and others who want to extend vaccination campaigns. in Africa.

There were hopes that African countries could administer billions of doses of vaccines for COVID-19, given their experience treating deadly diseases from Ebola to malaria.

But two years after the crisis, a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) survey in January, seen by Reuters, highlighted some challenges over the equipment needed to scale up vaccine distribution.

They were found “critical gaps” in 44 of the 55 member states of the African Union: 24 countries said they needed refrigerators, 18 needed freezers, 22 required cold rooms, and 16 did not have enough cold rooms.

A UNICEF spokesman said that more than 800 ultra-cold chain freezers had already been delivered to almost 70 countries, as well as 52,000 refrigerators.

“We continue to help countries identify and close cold chain capacity gaps as supply increases and governments adjust national vaccination targets in response“, said.

Officials involved in distributing vaccines in Africa also commented that more focus was needed on communicating the importance of getting vaccinated and addressing misinformation.

Money has also started to dry up for global initiatives as wealthier nations seek to overcome COVID.

Gavi says it has only raised $195 million of the $5.2 billion it requested this quarter. The money is used to purchase and ship vaccines, as well as to provide syringes and delivery support to countries.

Efforts to distribute tests and therapies, such as new antivirals, face similar cash flow problems, according to Philippe Duneton, chief executive of Unitaid.

“There is not much money left of what we have received”, he said referring particularly to therapies.

“There is around US$100 million, but we need more to make access to these medicines, including access to testing, affordable for the international community”, he added.