Topline
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Wednesday that they will sell 500 million additional doses of their Covid-19 vaccines to the U.S. government. These vaccines will be donated to the poorest countries in the world. President Joe Biden urged leaders of wealthy countries to address the vast inequalities of vaccine access at the U.N. General Assembly.
Pfizer and BioNTech have announced that the U.S. will donate 500 million additional doses of Covid-19 to countries in need. Long Visual Press/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Key Facts
The companies announced that BioNTech and Pfizer will supply the vaccine doses on a non-profit basis to the U.S. government. This deal extends an earlier 500 million-dose agreement that the companies had with the U.S. in June. It brings the total number to 1 billion. The companies said that the doses would be distributed to the 92 countries with low or lower incomes and the 55 African Union member states. Deliveries began in August from the original agreement. According to the companies, 1 billion doses of the 2 deals will be delivered by September 2022.
What to Watch
The announcement by President Joe Biden will be made Wednesday at the U.N. General Assembly's vaccine summit. It will serve as an incentive for other rich nations to take action to combat the pandemic beyond their borders. According to the New York Times, Biden will propose a goal to vaccinate 70% of the world's population within one year. This is a lofty goal considering that 18 states in the United States have not reached the threshold (applicable only to adults) Biden set on July 4.
Important Quote
BioNTech's chief executive officer and co-founder, Ugur Sahin, stated that the company is looking at how to create a sustainable mRNA production system in low-income countries. This will allow for greater access to vaccines over the long-term.
Important Background
The global vaccine market was quickly dominated by wealthy countries, who began offering booster shots and vaccinating low-risk groups while the poor struggled to provide vaccinations for the most vulnerable. Public health officials have reacted to the inequalities as they are unfair and risky. They also fear that the pandemic will continue and new variants of the virus could emerge. The WHO has called for a moratorium regarding boosters up until 2022. The WHO claims that only 15% of the 1 billion vaccines promised to be donated to poorer countries has been fulfilled. Covax, a global vaccine-sharing initiative, was jointly led by WHO and Gavi. However, it has failed to reach its goal due to a multitude of funding problems and difficulty accessing vaccines. Despite promises by manufacturers to prioritize the organization over low-income countries, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi have not been able to meet their commitments.
Contra
Wealthy countries are being urged to do more than just make empty promises of charity to secure Covid-19 vaccines. Peoples Vaccine Alliance is a coalition of Oxfam and Amnesty International. It stated that Biden's 70% target will not be achieved with the current trickle of charity available. They also called on leaders to abolish the patent monopoly pharmaceutical companies hold on vaccines.
Continue reading
Biden, G-7 of Hypocrisy, Activists Charge Biden, G-7 of Self-Interest Over Plans to Vaccinate the World Amid Reports that 500 Million Pfizer Doses Will Be Donated by the U.S. (Forbes).
WHO Chief Implores Rich CountriesLike the U.S. Not to Vaccinate Children and Teens Against Covid, And To Donate Doses for Poorer Countries (Forbes).
Science: Vaccine nationalism and dynamics and control of SARS CoV-2 (Science).
The New York Times: Where a Vast Global Vaccination Program went wrong (The New York Times).
Live updates and coverage of the Coronavirus
