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Vaccine Monopoly

The world has come to realize that the Covid pandemic can only be controlled after every individual in the world’s over 7 billion population has been vaccinated.

By Bilal Mustikhan | May 2021

Vaccine Monopoly

The emergence of Covid at the end of 2019 led to a wave of lockdowns around the globe as it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11th March 2020. The infectious disease had taken many lives throughout the world and is spreading like wildfire due to the globally interconnected world we live in. Initially, the suffering was caused only by the disease itself but the only possible containment method, lockdowns, led to further agony. Lockdowns disrupted livelihoods as people lost their jobs, businesses shut down and educational institutes were compelled to shift to online learning. The pandemic is expected to push more than 150 million people below extreme poverty in 2021, according to a World Bank report and has further exacerbated inequality.

The pandemic took a heavy toll on each and every individual throughout the world, even in the world’s powerful countries such as the United States of America, which failed to control the spread of Covid, partly due to their relaxed approach. This called for states to adopt a uniform approach in a deeply polarised and fragmented world to tackle the invisible menace. The UN Secretary General even called for a global ceasefire so that states could unite to fight the common enemy, but his call fell on deaf ears. Wars and conflicts continued in war-torn Yemen and Syria and in many ther places and there were no signs of peace.

Globalization bore the brunt of the pandemic as states began focusing on their national and security interests instead of lending a hand to those hit heaviest by Covid-19. Lockdowns were not enough to prevent the disease from spreading and vast amounts of personal protective equipment was required by healthcare workers who were risking their lives to save the infected. At this crucial point, countries took a realistic approach and began hoarding personal protective equipment which disrupted global supply. The shortage of masks, gloves, aprons and goggles, etc. left health workers ill-equipped and they were compelled to re-use whatever little equipment they had. In many countries, hospitals are still struggling to cope with the pandemic and have reached the brink of collapse.

While healthcare workers have been on their feet to prevent the loss of lives, researchers have faced all this while the daunting task of creating a Covid vaccine in a very short time. The power struggle by countries to acquire personal protective equipment gives a picture of how various vaccines are being distributed.

fatimaOver the previous year, developed countries started to work on new vaccines in a rush, almost as if they were competing in a race. Russia took the lead when it introduced Sputnik V - the first ever Covid-19 vaccine. It was said to have an efficiency rate of 92 percent, and has been approved by many countries, including Belarus, Argentina, Hungary and Iran. Two doses of this vaccine need to be administered, with each of them costing $10. It can be stored at standard freezer temperature so that it does not go bad.

The famous German firm, BioNtech and US pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, worked together to come up with a Covid-19 vaccine. This vaccine was the first to be approved for use in Europe. In fact, it was also the first vaccine to be approved by the World Health Organisation. Two doses need to be administered, with each of them costing $20. The only unfortunate thing is that this vaccine must be stored at freezing temperatures, making it impossible for low-budget hospitals to use. However, the vaccine has had the largest global outreach.

A vaccine produced by the UK, known as the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is 62 to 94 percent effective. Individuals need to be given two doses, with each dose costing $4. The great part is that this vaccine can be stored at standard freezer temperature. The UK became the very first country that offered a fully tried and tested vaccine to its residents.

The Moderna vaccine, which was developed in partnership with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, became the second vaccine that received approval in the US. It is said to have an efficiency ratio of 94 percent, and costs $15. Two doses need to be administered per person.

During this time, China was working hard to develop the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. After all, it needed to rebuild its deteriorating image and come out stronger to the world.

States are seeking to further their national interests by sharing vaccines among those countries that will benefit them in the global arena. China has pledged to donate half a billion vaccines worldwide. It is relying on vaccine diplomacy to change the narrative and to emerge as a saviour after it failed to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19. Israel, also, recently donated a shipment of Moderna vaccines to the Czech Republic and won diplomatic support as the Czech Republic opened an embassy office in Jerusalem.

While governments around the world are prioritizing their own populations during vaccine distribution, chances are that many developing countries that cannot produce or buy vaccines may miss out. The WHO, Gavi alliance and CEPI stepped in with its COVAX platform in order to support these countries. COVAX aims to provide vaccines to every individual around the world regardless of his or her wealth. It aims to have 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, including 1.8 doses to poor countries free of cost. Ghana was the first country to receive CovidCovid-19 vaccines from the COVAX scheme. Platforms like these offer a ray of light in a situation when countries are prioritizing themselves.

Turki President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while addressing a Coronavirus Global Response Summit that the vaccine should be shared property for all of mankind. Covid cannot be defeated until and unless every single individual on this planet is vaccinated. The task can only be accomplished with a global effort and will fail if self-interest persists.

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