Politics of Vaccine

Dark Side of Vaccine Development

COVID-19 pandemic has already exploited economic structures and punctured health mechanisms of many countries all over the globe. But now the developed world is exploiting the pandemic itself. And these are not just the private players and companies, but governments too are looking to take advantage of this global crisis and make money out of it.

As we all await an effective vaccine that many hopes will kick-start the world’s return to normalcy, geopolitics is increasingly spilling over into the vaccine race, not just with its development but also the distributional aspect, and thus complicating the matters further.

This developmental race (for COVID-19) has brought about the ‘politicization of vaccine’.

When a COVID-19 vaccine will become available, powerful leaders around the world are all likely to resort to shortsighted ‘my country first’ approaches to manage its production and distribution.

In absence of an effective international, enforceable commitment to distribute vaccines globally in an equitable and rational way, leaders will prioritize taking care of their own populations over slowing the spread of COVID-19 elsewhere. This will allow those having the capacity, to inexplicably overlook the ‘humanitarian aspect’ and stockpile the vaccine.

The pandemic will soon turn from a grave health crisis to ‘a profit-making business’.

In fact, the business is already commenced.

How?

Leading western powers have already begun stockpiling on vaccines (potential) for the Wuhan virus. They are ordering them even before they have been produced and declared effective. Anyone and everyone who can make a vaccine is taking a shot at it. A vaccine for the novel Corona-virus has become the new holy grail.

For now, governments are calling the shots and the western world could have the first access to a vaccine that works. At least the three blocks - the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union are placing advance orders. They are going to private companies and booking vaccine doses. They are doing all this well before we actually find a vaccine that works.

Here’s what the USA is up to - two weeks back, the United States locked up 600 million doses of a vaccine for almost 2 billion dollars. The contract went to two companies – Pfizer and a German biotechnology company.

Do you know what’s the population of the United States?

Approximately 330 million.

This evidently manifests that America could be locking up more supplies than what its population can use.

USA had done this with the supply of PPE kits too in the month of April when it paid a higher amount for each kit and created an acute shortage in other countries.

The same story of stockpiling follows in the United Kingdom too. The British government has signed deals with three vaccine programs for 190 million doses. The population of the United Kingdom is around 63 million.

The European Union also wants preferential access to a vaccine that works. Major EU countries have created Europe’s inclusive vaccine alliance. This group includes France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. These four countries are procuring vaccines for EU member states. Already this group has locked up 400 million doses of a potential vaccine.

But why is all of this a matter of concern?

Because the developed world could reduce the global supply of vaccines, rendering the developing and third world countries vulnerable to the disease as won't be able to get a vaccine whenever it is ready and when they need it the most.

And this is not a hypothetical situation. It has already happened once.

In 2009, when the world was fighting H1N1 virus, the vaccine supply went to the developed world first. Because they were able to pay for it and lock up the supply by signing contracts in advance. This created the shortage in the developing countries and later 9 countries pledged donations for the H1N1 vaccine and that was only after the worst of the pandemic had passed.

A similar situation is now discernible in the case of Corona-virus pandemic.

Also, the high cost of risk associated with stockpiling (of unproven vaccine) will have to be borne upon by the poorer developing and the third world countries at a later stage.

And most importantly, vaccine development will take us to a new geopolitical arena where the USA (with presidential elections coming close) will try buying out countries through vaccine to reciprocate and outplay its biggest adversary – China. 

US election (in November) amidst the global pandemic is all set for a roller-coaster ride for the whole world!

But more importantly, the world’s coronavirus exit strategy solely depends on a vaccine and hence for a fair and equitable access without any rise in confrontations, world organizations (primarily WHO and UN) should step in for ensuring this by designing a constructive and viable platform for timely distribution of a vaccine.

Author: Gautam Sodani