All articles tagged with #vaccine equity
Dr. Seth Berkley discusses the successes and challenges of global vaccine efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of vaccine equity, the impact of misinformation, and the need for preparedness for future pandemics, while highlighting the unprecedented anti-vaccine engagement seen today.
After two years of negotiations, the World Health Organization has failed to finalize a global pandemic treaty aimed at better handling future pandemics. Key issues include sharing pathogen information, intellectual property rights, and vaccine affordability. Despite the setback, WHO officials remain hopeful that a plan will eventually be agreed upon to address these challenges more equitably.
Efforts to draft a global pandemic treaty have stalled as rich and poor countries fail to agree on how to respond to future health emergencies. Despite two years of negotiations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not been able to finalize a draft treaty aimed at better sharing resources and stopping future viruses. Key issues include the sharing of information and technologies, and equitable access to vaccines and treatments. WHO officials remain hopeful that an agreement can eventually be reached.
Negotiators for the global pandemic treaty failed to meet their deadline due to unresolved issues, particularly around vaccine and treatment sharing between richer and poorer countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus remains hopeful and expects an extension of six to twelve months to finalize the treaty. Concerns about the treaty's implications and misinformation have also contributed to the delay.
Countries have failed to agree on a global treaty to prepare for future pandemics, with key issues like equitable access to vaccines and financing for surveillance systems causing delays. Negotiators will request more time to finalize the treaty, which was a major agenda item for the upcoming World Health Assembly in Geneva.
The COVAX initiative, which aimed to provide equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, will close on December 31, 2023, after delivering nearly 2 billion vaccine doses to 146 economies. COVAX's efforts have helped lower-income economies achieve a two-dose coverage of 57%, compared to the global average of 67%, and averted an estimated 2.7 million deaths. While COVAX will close, low- and lower-middle-income economies will continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines and support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Lessons learned from COVAX's challenges and successes highlight the need for better global pandemic preparedness and response in the future, including equitable access, diversifying vaccine manufacturing, and addressing financial risks.
New York City is launching a $4 million "vaccine equity" campaign to target poorer neighborhoods with lower vaccination rates. The initiative aims to curb infections and deaths from COVID-19 and the flu in predominantly minority communities. Grants will be provided to 18 not-for-profit groups to expand vaccine coverage in two dozen neighborhoods. The campaign will also raise awareness about long COVID and its impact on individuals' health. The effort is part of the city's broader Building Resiliency and Vaccine Equity outreach campaign, which focuses on neighborhoods most impacted by COVID-19 and health disparities.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $40 million investment to support the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in Africa. The funding will help African manufacturers produce mRNA vaccines on the continent, aiming to improve vaccine equity. While it may take three more years for the vaccines to be approved and available, this investment marks an important step forward. The Institut Pasteur in Senegal and Biovac in South Africa will use an mRNA research and manufacturing platform developed by Quantoom Biosciences in Belgium. The goal is to build vaccine self-reliance in Africa and enable the continent to produce its own vaccines for diseases like Lassa fever and Rift Valley fever.
New York City is launching a "vaccine equity" campaign to encourage older and disabled residents to get their COVID-19 and flu shots this fall and winter. The initiative, called NYC Community Partnerships for Vaccine Access and Equity (CompPass), will focus on distributing the shots in specific neighborhoods and allocate funds to hire community or faith-based groups to conduct on-the-ground efforts. The campaign aims to increase vaccination rates among vulnerable populations and limit the anticipated surge in flu and COVID-19 cases. The initiative is part of the city's Public Health Corps and is supported by federal funding.