WIll the world mobilize to get enough vaccines into arms, faster than the coronavirus can develop new strains? This involves the ramping up of production, an equitable and strategic worldwide deployment, and a monitoring of what the enemy virus is doing so as to constantly prepare upgraded vaccines.
The mobilization in 2020 to prepare appropriate vaccines showed the proper mission orientation. Governments threw resources at the problem, vaccines were developed in record time, and significant production occurred. But it was short of what a world of 7-8 billion people require. Back in 2017/8, pre-COVID-19, Big Pharma beat down the attempt by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to relax patent rights so as to allow for more vaccine production, such as for Ebola. CEPI backed down. Then the lack of “general welfare” thinking left the world behind the eight-ball when the pandemic hit in 2020. And the reality of the situation — where the virus has to be beaten everywhere — wasn’t allowed to dictate policy. The same government policy to fund and drive vaccine development could also have allowed for Big Pharma to cover their costs and risks; but instead, old-fashioned ‘profit’ models have interfered.
AP reports on vaccine factories that have been underutilized. In Bangladesh, Incepta’s Abdul Muktadir said that pharmaceutical companies should be sharing vaccine information: “If that can be done, then immediately every continent will have dozens of companies who would be able to produce these vaccines.” Incepta had made repeated requests to Moderna, but received no response. There are similar stories with Biovac in South Africa and Bavarian Nordic in Denmark. The former director of chemistry at Moderna, Suhaib Siddiqi, offered: “In my opinion, the vaccine belongs to the public. Any company which has experience synthesizing molecules should be able to do it.” He estimated that if only blueprints and technical advice were provided, production could begin in at most 3-4 months.
