With global COVID-19 Cases crossing 9 million with worldwide death topping over 500,000; countries and companies are racing to get a vaccine at the earliest. 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: Proposal by Arnaud Bernaert, Head of Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare, World Economic Forum. Please feel free to quote. For further comment, questions or interviews contact: Srivedant.Kar@weforum.org | +41 79 699 63 25

This is how to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to everyone
by Arnaud Bernaert, Head of Health, World Economic Forum

Current manufacturing capacity may not be enough to supply a global COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Public funding arrangements often restrict vaccine access at present.

More partnerships between researchers and manufacturers are needed.

The World Economic Forum proposes 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 – i.e. when they reach phase 3 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 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, South Africa, needs to be put to work.

A mechanism like the one described in the above 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 in order to end the present crisis.

Best,
Srivedant Kar
Media and Communications, World Economic Forum