Covid: number of states pre-order millions of doses of vaccine from laboratories

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3 min

Argentina and Mexico have announced that they will take charge of the production and distribution in Latin America of the future vaccine against Covid-19 produced by the AstraZeneca laboratory. Between 150 and 250 million doses are concerned, a way for these states to ensure stocks of this vaccine if ever it proves effective. Several other countries have also secured their backs by pre-ordering millions of doses from laboratories.

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The European Union, the United States, Japan, but also China and Russia, many countries are ensuring with billions of euros to be able to benefit from a possible vaccine against Covid-19 by signing agreements with pharmaceutical laboratories.

Each time, hundreds of millions of doses are thus pre-empted, possibly in violation of ethics, since many less wealthy states are then left aside.

By hosting the production and distribution of AstraZeneca's vaccine candidate, Argentina and Mexico are avoiding this pitfall without spending colossal sums.

Criticized as it is, this system of partnerships between States and laboratories is however vital for the latter so that they can provide a vaccine within the record time required of them. To the already very expensive development cost, we must also add its industrialization.

The money from pre-orders thus enables laboratories to set up production chains now, while clinical trials are still in progress. It is a bet, because nothing prejudges the favorable outcome of these tests. It is nevertheless necessary if we want a possible vaccine to be available from next year. 

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