Topline
Just a fraction of Covid-19 shots promised to poorer countries and the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative by pharmaceutical companies and wealthy nations have been delivered, according to a report by the People’s Vaccine Alliance, as officials, experts and activists condemn slow progress to close the gap in vaccine access around the world.
Wealthy countries have donated only 14% of promised vaccine doses to poorer countries.
Key Facts
Of the 1.8 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine promised by the G7 and Europe (which includes the EU, Norway and Iceland and are due between the end of 2021 and 2022), just 261 million—14%—have been delivered to poorer countries so far, according to a report by the activist group comprising organizations including Amnesty International, Oxfam and UNAIDS.
The U.S. has delivered more doses than other wealthy nations—nearly 177 million—though this is just 16% of the 1.1 billion doses it pledged to donate.
Proportionally, Japan has been the most successful wealthy nation in keeping its promise to donate vaccines, delivering 31% of nearly 19 million doses, while the U.K. has delivered around 10% of the 10 million doses it pledged, and Europe has given out 10% of the 52 million doses it promised.
Western pharmaceutical companies are also lagging in their pledges to sell vaccines to Covax, the report found, delivering just 120 million doses of a promised 994 million, around 12%.
To date, Pfizer and BioNTech have delivered 39% of the 40 million doses pledged to Covax, while AstraZeneca has given out 14% of its promised 720 million doses.
Johnson & Johnson and Moderna have yet to deliver any vaccine doses to the initiative, the report found, despite respective promises of 200 million and 34 million doses.
Surprising Fact
The G7 and Europe donated 10 million doses directly to other high-income countries. Both the U.K. and Canada (which has delivered 8% of its promised doses to poorer countries) received doses from the Covax initiative, around 500,000 and 1 million, respectively.
Key Background
The report comes amid mounting criticism over wasted doses, booster campaigns and the apparent barriers pharmaceutical companies impose making it harder to donate surplus vaccine doses. According to the Telegraph, pharma restrictions reportedly include seeking permission from manufacturers in order to donate, accepting liability for donated doses and gag orders preventing governments or buyers from discussing prices. These all make it harder to donate quickly as unused doses near their expiration dates in wealthy nations. Vaccine equity is likely to be a key issue in the upcoming G20 summit in Rome, where leaders of wealthy nations will be urged to do more to relax intellectual property restrictions preventing widespread manufacturing of the lifesaving products.
Big Number
15 million. That’s at least how many doses of Covid-19 vaccine the U.S. has thrown away, according to CDC data between March and September.
Further Reading
Vaccine nationalism and the dynamics and control of SARS-CoV-2 (Science)
“Where a Vast Global Vaccination Program Went Wrong” (The New York Times)
