VACCINES FOR ALL With imminently available vaccines representing the best chance of ending the COVID-19 pandemic and bearing in mind the calls for vaccinations to be treated as a public good, how can the EU ensure fair access and distribution throughout the Member States? Submitted by Sean Hennessy(IE) |
TOPIC AT A GLANCE
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
KEY CONFLICTS
POLICIES APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
WHAT NOW?
FUTHER LINKS
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
KEY CONFLICTS
POLICIES APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
WHAT NOW?
FUTHER LINKS
TOPIC AT A GLANCE
KEY STAKEHOLDERS, CORE CONCEPT & KEY TERMS
CORE CONCEPTS & KEY TERMS EU strategy for COVID-19 vaccines: The strategy released by the European Commission regarding the development and deployment of a COVID-19 vaccine. The objectives of the strategy are to ensure the quality and safety of the vaccines, secure swift access to the vaccine to Member States and to ensure equitable access of the vaccine to all member states. Public good: a public good is a good that is both non-excludable and non-rivalrous. For such utilities, users cannot be barred from accessing and/or using them for failing to pay for them e.g streetlights and national defense Equitable distribution: Distributing assets in a society in a “fair” manner to accelerate and sustain economic growth. In effect, this would mean that the society’s total assets (in this case, vaccines) would be distributed so that the disparity between the poorest and richest is smaller. Equitable distribution is not the same as equal distribution. Emergency Support Instrument: The Emergency Support Instrument helps Member States in their efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the EU vaccine strategy, a significant part of the funding towards attaining and distributing vaccines comes from the Emergency Support Instrument. KEY STAKEHOLDERSThe European Commission is a branch of the European Union, it alone is in charge of proposing legislation and implementing decisions made by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a specialist agency of the United Nations and is the world's leading authority on medical and health advice, responsible for international and public health. It is the organisation coordinating the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has called for all coronavirus vaccines to be made a public good. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is an EU agency that is aimed at strengthening Europe's defenses against infectious diseases through monitoring and researching a variety of medical issues. The ECDC then provides policy makers with their findings in order to ensure that all policies made in the area of health and medicine are well informed and beneficial to all Member States. The Europeans Medicines Agency (EMA) is an EU agency in charge of the evaluation and supervision of medicinal products. The recent vaccine distribution strategy states that the EMA will be working closely with the Commission in order to accelerate the authorisation and availability of successful COVID-19 vaccines. Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance: France, Germany, The Netherlands and Italy have formed a coalition with each other in order to boost the EU’s negotiating position with private companies in the race for a coronavirus vaccine but also to have it manufactured in Europe if possible. |
KEY CONFLICTS
EQUITY VS EQUALITY
The vaccine distribution strategy promises equitable distribution of the vaccine across all Member States, meaning vaccines are given where they’re needed most. With some Member States falling into the “Low-Middle Income Countries” (LMIC) category, the equitable division approach may result in these countries receiving the majority of the vaccines while other countries will be forced to rely on acquiring vaccines themselves. With some of these LMIC Member States lacking the necessary medical infrastructure to tend to their own infected populace, the equitable approach would be to procure them with more vaccines. However, with other Member States housing the leaders in vaccine development, it could be argued that they should be prioritised in order to improve and push vaccine development within the country – potentially resulting in even more vaccines in the future and saving more lives in the long term. A successful COVID-19 vaccine won't just save lives, it will also save economies. Another question then arises: Should the struggling economies of Member States be taken into account when distributing vaccines in a way that is deemed fair? |
QUALITY VS QUANTITY
With imminently available vaccines representing the best chance of ending the COVID-19 pandemic, should the EU prioritise buying as many vaccines as possible of varying success rates in order to save as many lives as possible or should it stick with their set standards? The EU is engaged in purchasing agreements with multiple COVID-19 vaccine producers, such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca, which are to be followed up on once their vaccines are proven safe and effective. With the EU’s main goal of protecting lives, it could be argued that the EU should purchase vaccines of varying efficacy with the mindset that having a vaccine of efficacy rate 70% is better than having none at all. Although this concept could save some lives, it brings the risk that the lower immunity rate could result in another outbreak of the virus. |
POLICY APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
The most recent work regarding a COVID-19 vaccine has been the EU strategy for COVID-19 vaccines This strategy outlines the EU’s objectives of ensuring a safe and efficient vaccine, securing swift access of said vaccines to all Member States while also ensuring equitable access to an affordable vaccine as soon as possible. A significant part of The Emergency Support Instrument will be used to secure the production of vaccines in the EU while also securing purchasing agreements with global leaders in COVID-19 vaccine production.
FOCUSED VACCINE PROCUREMENT
The EU acknowledges and realises that COVID-19 is not just a European issue, but a global one, so the EU emphasises that all Member States have a responsibility and an interest to make an efficient and widely accessible vaccine. The countries of France, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands have formed an inclusive vaccine alliance in order to direct their efforts to procure a much needed vaccine and to also increase their negotiating position with private companies in order to have the vaccine manufactured and developed in Europe.
VACCINATION ROADMAP
In 2019 the European Commission set out a roadmap for Member States in order to combat vaccine preventable diseases and to also increase vaccine production within Member States.
The most recent work regarding a COVID-19 vaccine has been the EU strategy for COVID-19 vaccines This strategy outlines the EU’s objectives of ensuring a safe and efficient vaccine, securing swift access of said vaccines to all Member States while also ensuring equitable access to an affordable vaccine as soon as possible. A significant part of The Emergency Support Instrument will be used to secure the production of vaccines in the EU while also securing purchasing agreements with global leaders in COVID-19 vaccine production.
FOCUSED VACCINE PROCUREMENT
The EU acknowledges and realises that COVID-19 is not just a European issue, but a global one, so the EU emphasises that all Member States have a responsibility and an interest to make an efficient and widely accessible vaccine. The countries of France, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands have formed an inclusive vaccine alliance in order to direct their efforts to procure a much needed vaccine and to also increase their negotiating position with private companies in order to have the vaccine manufactured and developed in Europe.
VACCINATION ROADMAP
In 2019 the European Commission set out a roadmap for Member States in order to combat vaccine preventable diseases and to also increase vaccine production within Member States.
WHAT NOW?
With the COVID-19 virus spreading all across the world and having taken over 1.8 million lives , the need for a vaccine is becoming more and more vital. With only a limited amount of vaccines being purchased by the EU from private companies, how can the EU make these vaccines widely and readily available to Member States and with the infection rate increasing everyday, how can the EU combat the demand for the vaccine?
The promise of equitable distribution would mean that vaccines are given out on a basis of what is “fair”. The power of definition would lie with the EU, but could prove controversial within the Member States. Member States who lack the necessary healthcare systems would be desperate for a vaccine to the virus, while countries who have had their economies destroyed by the pandemic would also be in need of a vaccine to kickstart their economies once again. So the question is; how will these vaccines be distributed, to whom will they be given, and who will get to decide?
The promise of equitable distribution would mean that vaccines are given out on a basis of what is “fair”. The power of definition would lie with the EU, but could prove controversial within the Member States. Member States who lack the necessary healthcare systems would be desperate for a vaccine to the virus, while countries who have had their economies destroyed by the pandemic would also be in need of a vaccine to kickstart their economies once again. So the question is; how will these vaccines be distributed, to whom will they be given, and who will get to decide?
FURTHER LINKS
Essential Engagement
Further links
- Here's the recently released COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy.
- Here's an interesting article by Politico about vaccine distribution.
- This is a video message from President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, on the EU vaccine strategy.
- This is information on the EU entering purchasing agreements with private companies for a vaccine.
Further links
- Here's an interesting article on equitable distribution by the Jama Network.
- This is an article on the EU’s purchasing agreements with Johnson and Johnson.