The country has failed in vaccination planning. Will 2022 be different? | | Stories

On December 4, 2020, a 90-year-old grandmother in the United Kingdom became the first person in the world to receive a vaccine that was proven to be effective against COVID-19, triggering the release of highly complex cardboard products. events in the richest countries in the world.

Two and a half months later, on February 24, the first vaccine was submitted under COVAX, the World Health Organization (WHO), the GAVI vaccination agreement, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) approach aimed at coordinating the distribution of all wealth to all . and poor countries, they came to Accra, Ghana.

Health officials warned at the time that releasing the same vaccine – through COVAX, regional agencies, and bilateral donations – was necessary to prevent the spread of dangerous strains that could prolong the epidemic, as well as prevent vaccination.

As 2022 approaches, with nearly nine billion vaccines being offered worldwide, health experts say global vaccination targets are down. too short. It is not that over-production has not been able to address the shortage of low-income countries, but there is a long way to go to address the growing problem of accessing tar vaccine in low-income countries to be in the hands of residents.

In the meantime, the emergence of the Omicron genus, in which one of the most widely used vaccines seems ineffective against them, could spark a major uproar in supply and shipping worldwide.

“Either way, the global vaccination campaign has become a serious failure and a serious moral crisis,” Lawrence Gostin, head of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law in Georgetown Law, told Al Jazeera. “I think that’s unquestionable.”

The COVAX program initially aimed at achieving 20 percent vaccination in all countries of the world by the end of 2021. The World Health Organization has set a target of 40 percent vaccination worldwide.

But only five countries in Africa are waiting to achieve a 40 percent target, while most countries on the continent are down 20 percent.

As of November, the proportion of people vaccinated in 92 countries identified by COVAX as the poorest donors – most in sub-Saharan Africa – was only 11 percent, according to data generated and COVID GAP, a monitoring system developed by Duke University and the COVID Collaborative, a team of health professionals.

In contrast, most high-income countries have received adequate vaccines more than 50 percent of their population, and several have contributed an additional 20 percent of their population, According to Our World in Data.

Although vaccination last year has reached a level close to global demand, things are still critical due to some challenges. sharing technology, trade chains, and circular uncertainty Omicron brands, experts and representatives say.

In a November report, COVID GAP found that the G7 countries, the global financial crisis, and the European Union are expected to have more than 834 million vaccines by the end of the year, even in terms of revenue. by providing incentives to 20 percent of the population and child distribution.

Meanwhile, according to pre-planned shipments, it was estimated that the world would be close to 40 percent by the end of the year.

The COVID Gap report was released a few days before Omicron’s differences were first reported in Southern Africa. Its worldwide expansion has seen governments launch a more rapid and comprehensive advocacy campaign, with early studies showing jabs, particularly the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccine, appear to be more effective in preventing Omicron disease unless support is given.

“We are now close to getting a vaccine of more than one billion a month, but I am slowly moving to low-income and middle-income countries,” Dr Krishna Udayakumar, founder of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, told Al Jazeera. “So we have not solved this problem in any way, but we are closer to solving it than ever before.”

But, he added, giving is only part of the story.

“I’m looking forward to 2022 and I think all games will be about vaccination. So how do we go from airport to equipment? How do we turn vaccines into vaccines?” he said.

“I don’t think we have enough equipment and we are not well prepared for this … There is a lot of progress we need to start from but a lot more work to do and get billions if not billions of dollars.”

‘We are not here yet’

Storage of vaccines with rich countries, storage facilities and approving other reliable vaccines and other manufacturing challenges, especially standing for months on exports from the India Serum Institute, a major co-sponsor of COVAX, led the project to exceed half of its target of providing $ 2 billion in 2021, $ 1.3 billion to go to 92 of the most important countries.

As of December 17, COVAX has released the expected 610 million 800 million vaccines.

Although the WHO has encouraged donations to be passed through COVAX, a number of countries have made all contributions through this process and directly to countries, raising questions if geopolitics was more important than necessary.

China, which has been unpopular with vaccines, often favors donations and exports to Latin America and Asia, according to Beijing Bridge, which follows Chinese donations. Countries on the African continent have received 113 million vaccines out of more than 1.2 billion distributed by China worldwide, and 50 million of those going to Morocco.

Benjamin Schreiber, who oversees the preparation of the national vaccine and the delivery of UNICEF, which oversees COVAX global transport, said he expects low-income vaccines to remain at least in the first few months of 2022, adding that vaccine offerings from for the rich. nations will remain important.

“People say things have been resolved. And now all about value. But it is not. We have not arrived, “he told Al Jazeera.

“We have countries with a small proportion of hospitals that provide vaccines … we have not given them to anyone who needs the vaccine.”

In the face of shortages, Schreiber said divisions in low-income countries – hampered by weak medical systems, lack of weapons, political instability and social inequality – were difficult.

In the midst of undergoing COVAX surgery, Schreiber said many low-income countries are struggling to find a cool place to store vaccines, emphasizing the need for more support until 2022.

As of November 10, the COVID GAP data showed that 92 of the world’s most important countries were providing about 75 percent of their total income, which was due to a variety of factors including limited information prior to birth, receiving the immunized vaccine provided nearby. until the expiration date, the difficulty of vaccinating in areas of greatest need, and the suspicion among others.

Health officials around the world have also warned about lack of syringe coming.

Schreiber said UNICEF has identified about 20 countries that need a “hand-to-hand” approach in the coming year, adding that advanced funding includes funding for “cold chain” equipment needed to store and ship more vaccines, as well as tuition fees. and recruiting staff, planning projects, and supporting a public awareness campaign.

In October, the World Health Organization said it would be necessary $ 23.4bn until next September for its major campaign to address vaccine inequality, adjudicate testing and treatment, and achieve 43 percent vaccination in much-needed countries.

The funding should also address the uncertainty of vaccines in low-income countries, similar to those seen in the US and Europe, says Dr William Moss, head of the immunization center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School.

“There are a lot of lies, lies that have made people suspicious of the vaccine, I would say, in sub-Saharan Africa where we have never seen a vaccine for children,” he told Al Jazeera.

However, he said, raising funding for services such as medical aid and awareness campaigns has created serious problems in the past.

“That is a long-standing problem in these areas, where things are easier to provide, whether it is a network or a vaccine. You can read them. You can say we gave it all, “he told Al Jazeera.

“It ‘s very difficult to pay for first aid, vaccination, or transportation. All of this is not fun for donors and donors, but it is very important.”

‘Inadequate 2.0’

Coming to the forefront of integrated vaccination and reproductive problems is the Omicron genus, a clear understanding that could confirm a “changing environment” in the global vaccination campaign, says Duke’s Dr Udayakumar.

If the vaccine needs to be replicated, “then we will go back to the most difficult areas,” he said. In the meantime, the increasing demand for booster has its challenges.

“We are seeing an increase every day in high-income countries than we are starting in low-income countries,” he said.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, CEO of the Gavi Vaccination Coalition Seth Berkley stated that the higher the number of people receiving incentives in rich countries, and the shorter the duration of incentives, “the better we can see in rich countries. while the vaccine is not available in developing countries ”.

“We are also beginning to see donors who are reluctant to give their rates as quickly as they can because of the uncertainty of where we are,” he said.

Anxiety has prompted civil rights groups to resume calls on vaccine makers to share more expertise.

Human Rights Watch recently lighting a list of more than 100 companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America whose health experts say they have the potential to develop mRNA vaccines like those produced by Pfizer and Moderna, which have shown positive results – when given stimulants – in protection against Omicron disease. Such vaccines are only made in Europe and North America.

Georgetown’s Gostin said promoting global production outside of existing facilities should be a priority in the coming year.

“Low-income countries are always aware that donations come too late,” he said. “And they are tired of begging hats in the hands of charitable donations. They need the power to vaccinate themselves.”