Prime minister Johnson has topped his spin about donation of vaccine (referred to here) with a pledge to eliminate SARS-CoV2 in the world by the end of next year. G7 leaders have promised 1bn vaccine doses to poorer nations. Critics have immediately responded by saying this will not be enough.
But the number of vaccine doses is irrelevant if the means of delivering them is not there. Dumping large quantities in one go may favour the big pharmaceutical companies providing them, but risks wasting a large proportion if the product is time-expired before it can be used. The first priority is logistical support: getting the vaccine quickly to where it is needed, setting up a just-in-time supply chain, and providing refrigeration using appropriate technology for local storage of doses which cannot be used immediately.
The next priority is to devolve the technology closer to where the vaccines are needed. Waiving patent rights would be a positive step, but more important is to provide the machinery and impart the know-how. The US should take the lead, ignoring pressure from her big multinationals. President Biden has a chance to redeem his nation, whose last impact on third-world drug production was a negative one, President Clinton approving the destruction of a factory in Ethiopia on the grounds apparently that it was an investment by members of the sprawling bin Laden family.
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