Covid: 19 vaccine scheme for world's poorest pushes for delivery slowdown

Clover Biopharmaceuticals

22/06/2022 08:00

By Jennifer Rigby and Francesco Guarascio
    LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Leaders of the global scheme
aiming to get COVID-19 vaccines to the world's poorest are
pushing manufacturers including Pfizer  PFE.N  and Moderna
 MRNA.O  to cut or slow deliveries of about half a billion shots
so doses are not wasted. 
    COVAX, the World Health Organization-led scheme, wants
between 400 and 600 million fewer vaccines doses than initially
contracted from six pharmaceutical companies, according to
internal documents seen by Reuters. 
    While at first the initiative struggled for shots as wealthy
nations snapped up limited supply, donations from those same
countries later in 2021, as well as improved output from
manufacturers - alongside delivery challenges and vaccine
hesitancy in a number of countries – has led to a glut of
vaccine in 2022.  
    "COVAX has called for manufacturers to acknowledge the
global oversupply situation, and support collective efforts to
meet the timing of countries' needs and avoid unnecessary
wastage," said a spokesperson for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance,
which runs the initiative alongside WHO. 
    Gavi wants manufacturers to either reduce the size of the
initial orders or at least "re-phase" them, meaning they are
delivered at a later date that is more aligned with when
countries need them.
    Future negotiations might also include getting the
variant-specific vaccines currently being tested by
manufacturers including Moderna and Pfizer. 
    While Gavi is close to an agreement with some manufacturers,
contract negotiations with other companies are not as advanced,
according to sources close to the talks. No deals have yet been
agreed. 
    The biggest orders are with Moderna and Pfizer, alongside
the Serum Institute of India, Novavax  NVAX.O , Johnson &
Johnson  JNJ.N  and Clover Biopharmaceuticals  2197.HK . 
    "Being cognisant of local needs, we are seeking to provide
pragmatic solutions to requests whenever possible," Pfizer said
in an emailed statement, while Novavax said the status of its
COVAX deliveries was currently "unclear". Moderna said it had
nothing to add at this time.   
    COVAX follows in the steps of other vaccine buyers in trying
to cut deliveries agreed at the height of the pandemic,
including European Union governments. Pfizer and Moderna have
agreed to delay some shipments.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2Y10SO
    In total, COVAX has delivered more than 1.5 billion doses in
the last 18 months. 
    However, its initial aims of contributing towards the goal
of vaccinating 70% of the population of every country in the
world by this month have now effectively taken a back seat to
protecting 100% of the most vulnerable – namely, health workers
and the elderly. 
    While 66.3% of the world's population has now had at least
one COVID-19 vaccine dose, the proportion falls to 17.8% in
low-income countries, according to Our World In Data.  
    "What is critical for the global pandemic response now is
not a high volume of doses, but tailored supply and support to
lower-income countries," said Gavi. 
    Documents ahead of the organization's board meeting this
week, reviewed by Reuters, also show COVAX is considering
extending its work to "leverage dose donations" from high-income
countries to provide COVID-19 vaccines for children, as well as
adults, in some of the countries the scheme supports.

 (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London and Francesco Guarascio
in Brussels, with additional reporting by Edward McAllister,
Natalie Grover, editing by Mark Heinrich)
 ((Jennifer.Rigby@thomsonreuters.com;))