In recent weeks, all eyes have been on the frantic race of laboratories to find a vaccine against Covid-19.
But in the background, another race is playing out, that of access to doses.
Because even if no vaccine is yet available, some countries have already rushed to order, to be the first to have it when they are on the market.
In total, 6.8 billion doses of potential vaccines have already been purchased, according to data compiled by a US research center, attached to Duke University in North Carolina.
Without forgetting the additional 2.8 billion which are either under negotiation or reserved in addition.
It must be noted that these advance purchases, which allow the pharmaceutical industry to finance its trials, are largely made by high-income countries.
The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and even Japan have signed direct agreements with manufacturers to be the first served (3.7 billion doses confirmed in total).
This graph from the study conducted by an American research center attached to Duke University in North Carolina highlights the distribution of doses of vaccines against Covid-19 ordered by rich and middle-income countries.
© https://launchandscalefaster.org/covid-19
"Vaccine nationalism" still predominant
A few middle-income countries manage to do well by negotiating major direct agreements with laboratories because, as the study specifies, they either have "the capacity to manufacture" vaccines, or "the necessary infrastructure. to host clinical trials ".
This is the case of India, whose serum institute has undertaken to distribute half of the doses produced.
Indonesia has joined forces with Chinese laboratories.
As for Brazil, it is a partner in the trials conducted by the University of Oxford.
In total, they got their hands on some 2.4 billion doses.
In this rush for vaccines, the study did not identify any direct agreement between laboratories and so-called poor countries, which illustrates the inequality in global health and vaccine nationalism still prevalent.
An observation that is certainly nothing new.
During the 'swine flu' pandemic of 2009, the use of such agreements was so widespread that the majority of vaccine manufacturers said they were unable to supply 10% of the vaccine stock. to United Nations agencies.
"The only way out is to provide a collective response"
"The approach of countries to protect their population may seem legitimate, but in a global pandemic like that of Covid-19, the only way out is to provide a collective response," said Robin Guittard, spokesperson Oxfam France, interviewed by France 24. "Otherwise, at this rate, two-thirds of the world population will not have access to vaccines before 2022".
Faced with this fear, the World Health Organization (WHO), but also leaders around the world are pleading for vaccines to be distributed fairly throughout the world.
"We will stop at no effort to ensure affordable and equitable access (to vaccines, tests and treatments) for all," write the presidents and world leaders in their final statement at the meeting of the World Health Organization.
Vaccinate at least 20% of the population
A pooled fund has also been created by WHO in collaboration with the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the Coalition for Innovations in Epidemic Preparedness (Cepi).
The initiative, which is called Covax, is based on a funding mechanism, aims to ensure the delivery of two billion doses of vaccine, so that the approximately 160 signatory countries can immunize at least 20% of their population.
Of this stock, one billion is intended for 92 low and middle income countries, which account for half of the world's population.
The vaccines will cost these countries little or nothing.
The other billion is intended for 75 richer countries, which will pay their own doses.
Covax has already placed a few orders for nine candidate vaccines (over 600 million doses), such as that of the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
But the Gavi budget still lacks 3.8 billion euros.
Germany has pledged to pay 500 million euros.
For now, Covax is negotiating with Pfizer / BioNtech and Moderna, but the issue of stock is problematic.
According to the Center for Global Development, 1.1 billion doses of the German-American alliance are already reserved by the rich countries out of a total production announced of 1.3 billion doses next year.
Transfer surplus stocks
Some countries have so multiplied the orders that they could benefit from excess stocks.
This is the case of Canada, which has bought enough to vaccinate its population five times, as well as the European Union (EU) which has reserved twice as many doses as it has inhabitants.
Faced with the supply problem, Cepi is negotiating with high-income countries to ensure that once a certain percentage of their population has been vaccinated, part of the surplus is transferred to Covax.
NGOs fear that the sharing of anticipated stocks is not based on egalitarian criteria, which leads to fears that the poorest populations would still lose.
"There is a risk of falling into a two-tier approach with the rich countries which will keep the best vaccines in terms of efficacy and safety and leave what is left to others," predicts Robin Guittard.
"Pool patents"
Like other NGOs, Oxfam believes that more needs to be done to ensure global access to future vaccines.
The NGO urged pharmaceutical companies to share information through the WHO's Covid-19 technology access pool.
"All vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies should pool patents to allow more production", pleads Robin Guittard, who recalls that "no pharmaceutical company is able to ensure the production capacity to the global scale ".
To increase vaccine production, the governments of India and South Africa called on the WTO on Friday to ease regulations to temporarily lift protection for intellectual property and industrial processes.
Thus, generic manufacturers could in turn produce vaccines "until most of the world's population is immune to Covid-19".
But the EU's opposition on this point arouses outrage from Oxfam.
Especially when the leaders meeting the next day at the G20 plead for equitable access to the vaccine.
Robin Guittard denounces the double talk of European leaders who call for making vaccines a "global public good" while maintaining the race for vaccines.
The Covid-19 vaccine race.
© Graphic studio France 24
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