The decision of Moderna Inc. not choosing to give the vaccine in South Africa has left the country in a lighthouse as vaccine supplies are running low. The circulation strategy, or lack thereof, for the vaccine has long been a concern.
According to MESS Lab Northeastern research suggests that if rich countries invest in COVID-19 vaccines, we will see almost twice as many deaths as vaccines would be evenly distributed across the globe.
Although the modeling was based on an 80% efficiency level and is, in fact, just modeling and, therefore, without the complexity of real-world rotation, the point remains; global and equitable access to the vaccine will save lives – many of them.
As our Editor-in-Chief, therefore, a vaccine movement by the rich and powerful has left developing countries struggling to find supplies. “To put the problem in percentage: most developing countries are in a position where they are perhaps able to vaccinate 20 per cent of their population by 2021, and rich countries can have their vaccine several times over. ”
As noted by Dr. Donna Patterson, a Delaware State University scholar who studies African health and medicine issues for the Globe and Mail, some companies, including Pfizer, have tested their vaccines in trials in South Africa. “By using South African organizations for R&D of the drug, Pfizer should consider giving a larger dose of the vaccine to South African citizenship in general. ”
However, the government continues to fight for a level playing field as what is now referred to as the “apartheid vaccine” is leaving the South African government to run out of supplies. At the same time, the country has now transcended more than 1.1 million cases and nearly 30,000 deaths.
And of course, according to, Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have delivered 50 million Covid-19 vaccines to Africa for health workers between March and the end of this year. However, the leadership says the costs are “prohibitive”, a Pfizer representative said the company was “firmly committed to fair access for Covid-19 vaccine… We have dispensed doses for supply to countries with income low- and mid-level non-price for profit, and we are actively working with governments around the world. ”
Moderna is a U.S.-funded vaccine distributed in the U.S. and Canada, and AstraZeneca Plc is not available for Africa for 2021. South Africa continues to work directly with producers, as well as seek procurement through programs such as “the ultimate global risk-sharing approach to the combined provision and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.” While there may also be sources from China and Russia, one country has not submitted the data required for regulatory approval.
Bloomberg states, “while at least 29 countries have begun to protect their populations, South Africa only expects to start gaining views for around 10% of its population in the second quarter. ”
There is an argument to be made that South Africa acted too slowly, as the old saying goes, you splurge, you lose. They were overcome by the faster, more strategic movements of the richest countries. But I’m sorry to say, government hypocrisy seems like a rampant move going into 2021 as officials are caught traveling for a vacation, and global leaders are gathering vaccine supplies. It seems that those who warned us about the consequences of doing too many essential things like toilet paper, and asked us all to play fair, are now able to do one thing. And the results are far harder than a dirty lump.