Scramble for COVID-19 vaccines begins amid fear of unfair distribution
- 3 years ago
국가별 백신 불평등 현실로...주요 선진국 독과점
With the U.K. set to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccines very soon, and other countries not far behind in securing vaccinations for their populations,... developing countries seem to have been left at the back of line,... limiting their distribution strategies.
Choi Min-jung has the details.
The U.K. has become the first western country to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine, while other countries are not far behind in the vaccine race.
However, as regulators and biopharmaceutical companies ramp up authorization and production, a scramble for vaccines is highly likely to follow,… with developing countries waiting at the back of the line.
The British government on Wednesday gave the green light for distribution of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine,… which is set to be distributed as early as next week.
Authorization for Pfizer in the U.S. is expected to be granted in the coming days as well.
To speed up the process, Moderna has also submitted authorization applications in the U.S., and U.K., as well as countries including Canada, Switzerland, Britain, Israel and Singapore.
According to sources, these developed countries have already secured a bulk of around 80 to 90 percent of the available vaccines.
Meanwhile, developing countries are turning towards securing vaccines from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, as they are more cost-effective.
Although the efficacy rate for AstraZeneca's vaccine is relatively lower than that of Pfizer's and Moderna's, its vaccine is more affordable and easier to deliver.
Price-wise, AstraZeneca has a clear advantage over the two firms.
While the price of both companies' vaccines are above 20 U.S. dollars, AstraZeneca's is much lower at under four dollars.
Also, unlike Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines which must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, AstraZeneca's vaccine can be kept in standard refrigeration for at least 6 months.
This puts much less burden on developing countries over distribution costs.
AstraZeneca has also vowed to provide over 1 billion doses of its vaccine to developing countries.
Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.
With the U.K. set to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccines very soon, and other countries not far behind in securing vaccinations for their populations,... developing countries seem to have been left at the back of line,... limiting their distribution strategies.
Choi Min-jung has the details.
The U.K. has become the first western country to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine, while other countries are not far behind in the vaccine race.
However, as regulators and biopharmaceutical companies ramp up authorization and production, a scramble for vaccines is highly likely to follow,… with developing countries waiting at the back of the line.
The British government on Wednesday gave the green light for distribution of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine,… which is set to be distributed as early as next week.
Authorization for Pfizer in the U.S. is expected to be granted in the coming days as well.
To speed up the process, Moderna has also submitted authorization applications in the U.S., and U.K., as well as countries including Canada, Switzerland, Britain, Israel and Singapore.
According to sources, these developed countries have already secured a bulk of around 80 to 90 percent of the available vaccines.
Meanwhile, developing countries are turning towards securing vaccines from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, as they are more cost-effective.
Although the efficacy rate for AstraZeneca's vaccine is relatively lower than that of Pfizer's and Moderna's, its vaccine is more affordable and easier to deliver.
Price-wise, AstraZeneca has a clear advantage over the two firms.
While the price of both companies' vaccines are above 20 U.S. dollars, AstraZeneca's is much lower at under four dollars.
Also, unlike Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines which must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, AstraZeneca's vaccine can be kept in standard refrigeration for at least 6 months.
This puts much less burden on developing countries over distribution costs.
AstraZeneca has also vowed to provide over 1 billion doses of its vaccine to developing countries.
Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.