POOR and middle income countries are being left behind when it comes to vaccine procurement and distribution, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In an Asian Development Blog, ADB Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department’s Cyn-Young Park, Kijin Kim and Matthias Helble said rich countries, meanwhile, have ordered nearly double the vaccines they need at 196 percent.
The authors said even if the Vaccines Global Access (Covax) facility of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) facility is able to roll out at least 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021, many economies may still not be able to reach herd immunity.
“Expansion of vaccination coverage continues to be challenged by a funding gap, risks of delays in deployment due to varying country readiness in addition to short-term supply shortages,” the authors said.
This, the ADB economists said, is the reason for the Manila-based multilateral development bank’s Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX).
The $9-billion facility launched in December aims to assist Developing Member Countries (DMCs) with vaccine procurement and distribution.
The Philippines became the first country to receive funding from the APVAX. The ADB extended a $400-million loan to the national government under the facility.
Apart from funding, the economists said governments should work together to achieve regional cooperation such as the one needed for pharmaceutical regulation.
“Economic reopening and recovery crucially depend on the success of vaccination programs by substantially lowering the risk of new outbreaks. The gains extend far beyond economic sectors as it can also put an end to disruptions in education and health systems,” the authors said.
The authors also urged governments to cooperate in terms of data sharing, mutual acceptance and recognition of manufacturing practices, drug registration, inspection and evaluation.
Further, logistics support and proper handling of vaccines is also crucial in ensuring that no country is left behind in terms of vaccination.
Unfortunately, the authors said, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that over 50 percent of vaccines are wasted annually due to logistics and improper handling.
“Many developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are not ready for the enormous logistical challenges to distribute Covid-19 vaccines rapidly and safely under the stringent temperature requirements,” the authors lamented.
1.1-M doses
Earlier, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and testing czar Vivencio Dizon said the government will complete the distribution of the initial 1.1 million doses of Covid vaccines before the arrival of the second wave of vaccines.
He said over 60 percent of the 1.1 million doses were already deployed in designated areas for distribution, as the government prepares for the arrival of P1.4 million additional doses this month.
Of these doses, 600,000 are Covid-19 vaccines from Sinovac Biotech, Coronavac, donated by the Chinese government; and the remaining 525, 600 are AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the Covax facility.
An additional 400,000 doses of Coronavac vaccines are expected to arrive starting March 21, 2021. These will be donated by the Chinese government. Another million doses were purchased by the government.
Image credits: AP/Mark Schiefelbein