The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is part of an effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.
CEPI helped launch the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), part of the ACT Accelerator, which was established to ensure that the vaccine, once it is developed, is doled out fairly to all the nations.
By participating in COVAX, governments will have access to a large and diverse portfolio of vaccines that CEPI is helping to fund and develop. Through COVAX, governments with limited or no ability to finance their own bilateral procurement can be assured access to life-saving vaccines that would otherwise have been beyond their reach.
The World Health Organization and its partners say $18.1 billion will be required to get 2 billion doses of vaccine in 2021. The funding is required immediately, so that accelerated development, manufacturing, procurement, stockpiling, and fair allocation of a vaccine can be achieved. These vital elements must be put in place now to get the vaccine to the people who need it most.
COVAX partners will work to set up the framework and mechanism required to ensure fair allocation. Priority populations for the first round of vaccinations will probably include healthcare workers, older adults over the age of 65 years, and other high-risk adults with underlying health conditions.
“COVAX not only represents the best solution to end this pandemic, it is also the fairest way to allocate vaccine for all countries to ensure that access can be provided for every country,” Richard Hatchett, CEO at CEPI, said. “With the launch of COVAX, we have a real chance to end this pandemic, but only if governments take a global approach to how they allocate funds for vaccine development, manufacturing, and distribution.”