Dana Gill, US policy advisor for MSF’s Access Campaign, said of today’s announcement:
“Despite calls from several Heads of State for global solidarity at the beginning of the pandemic, what we see today is a far cry from a picture of equity. So far, wealthier countries have administered nearly 27 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, while no doses have been distributed in low-income countries.
“While today’s announcement from Pfizer for COVAX is a step forward, the devil is in the details.
“Pharma is playing business-as-usual; the deal is only 2 percent of Pfizer/BioNTech’s estimated total doses—a pittance considering their production capacity and the bilateral deals they’ve already struck with high-income countries—and important details around price and delivery are still a secret. If Pfizer is serious about equity and supporting the WHO framework for allocation of COVID-19 vaccines, the bulk of its supply should be offered to the COVAX Facility and priced at cost.
“Transparency across the board is critical to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Full transparency from Pfizer/BioNTech and Gavi on the agreement, on the prices charged for all the countries taking part in COVAX, and specifically when the doses will be delivered to COVAX countries, is absolutely essential. Billions of dollars of public funding have supported the development of COVID-19 vaccines and the COVAX Facility itself.
“We call on pharmaceutical corporations like Pfizer and its peers to supply the COVAX Facility with the volumes it needs at an at-cost price, and information on this must be made publicly available. If the world is going to emerge from this pandemic, we absolutely must distribute these vaccines equitably, not based upon who can pay the most.”
