Irene Hartmann
01/24/2021 15:27
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 01/24/2021 3:29 PM
Last Monday, the Ministry of Health of the Nation released the schedule that manages the vaccines against the coronavirus that should arrive in the country, based on the agreements signed so far.
It's a tentative scheme: production is racing against the clock, but it's a short blanket in the face of
overwhelming global demand
.
What is expected, however, is that, in addition to the 20 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine that should arrive no later than February, and the 22,431,000 from AstraZeneca - estimated for between March and July- , between February and July another
9 million doses corresponding to the COVAX fund will come
.
What is that fund, when will the first blisters arrive and what brand could they be?
First, a couple of news.
This Friday, representatives of COVAX closed an agreement with Pfizer, the only "brand" vaccine - if the expression fits - that
was outside of this initiative
.
The second: they assured that the vaccine that they will first distribute will surely be that of
AstraZeneca
, a firm that will make
150 million doses
available to the fund
, precisely for this first quarter of the year.
One part should go to Argentina.
What portion, it is not known.
COVAX is an initiative supported by three legs: the World Health Organization, an organization created in 2000 (with the impulse of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) called
GAVI-Vaccines Alliance
, and CEPI, the acronym in English. of
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
.
Unlike direct agreements between countries and pharmaceutical companies, or those that become "State-State" (such as that of the Russian vaccine), COVAX acts as an
intermediary
in the negotiation between companies and governments, and in some way makes the times of "
vaquita
".
Donor countries, individuals and entities with a philanthropic profile put money to subsidize the less wealthy countries.
In other words, COVAX
brings the parties together to raise money and then distributes
.
Like almost everything, it has its double side: it guarantees that an unquestionably millionaire business
runs smoothly
, while, at the same time, it promotes that the march is, as far as possible, “
for everyone
”.
In other words, "the cause" that comes to the fore is to achieve a more or less equitable distribution of vaccines and drugs worldwide.
Equity is not less at this time
, agreed, in separate dialogues with
Clarín
, two renowned health professionals: Rubén Torres, director of the ISalud University, former superintendent of Health Services and former representative of PAHO, and Adolfo Rubinstein, former Minister of Health and Master in Clinical Epidemiology.
Both were concerned about an effect that is already evident: that
the richest countries
, compared to the poorest,
are getting,
earlier,
more and better supplies against Covid
.
That is, from tests and medications for treatments to vaccines.
Argentina is part of the
190 countries
that make up the COVAX fund.
To that list, we should add a giant that many were eager to recover: the United States, which, after the inauguration of Joe Biden, made its decision to swerve in everything related to the departure from the UN that had been promoted by Donald Trump very clear.
Let's talk, then, about doses to combat the pandemic and what are the expectations.
A healthcare worker prepares a vial of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine.
/ Reuters
Before, a clarification.
Both Torres and Rubinstein agreed that all
the figures used are "tentative
.
"
They represent intentions without absolute reinsurance, considering the limitations in the production of vaccines, when in addition the viral proliferation does not stop almost anywhere.
The difficulty, once accepted, runs both for the global goals and for the particular ones that Argentina has.
In other words, the 9 million doses from the COVAX fund that the Government expects to receive between now and July.
Millions in dance
The intention of the COVAX representatives is to obtain at least
2,200 million doses of vaccines throughout 2021
, to distribute in 190 countries.
75% of that amount is already backed by signed agreements.
And as stated, this first trimester doses
should have the AstraZeneca stamp
.
Although no one gambles for a date or quantity of doses that can reach Argentina, what is known is that of the more than 2,000 million doses, 1,300 million are going to end up, as a kind of "facility" , to 92 low-middle income countries, through a mechanism called AMC (
Advance Market Commitment
).
This occurs because the active (that is, economic) participation of some “giants” of the world economy makes it possible to enter
into pre-purchase agreements, which in turn encourages laboratories
to accelerate their development and produce on a large scale.
A nurse in Argentina holds the Sputnik V vaccine. Photo: Nievas
It's a bet.
An advance of money to promote what, it is estimated, everyone will need.
Argentina, it should be clarified, is not among the 92 countries that will be "covered" by the contribution of others, but among the remaining 98 that, nevertheless,
buy at prices, say, "wholesalers"
, through funds like this one.
The mechanism is known, similar to that used with calendar vaccines through
the PAHO Revolving Fund
.
In that case, the agency acts as an intermediary voice between pharmaceutical companies and the countries of the region.
And it thus avoids a complex dialogue with a handful of culturally different countries, as well as distant ones.
So on the one hand there are the countries and, on the other, the pharmaceutical companies, with which the representatives of COVAX (that is, institutions such as WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank) sign agreements.
Important: for a vaccine producer to join this fund, it must first have the
approval of the WHO
.
Pfizer
, which has just joined,
Not only does it have the go-ahead but it is the
only
pharmaceutical
company
that has firm approval from the largest health agency.
On the other hand, at least a dozen pharmaceutical companies currently have “
pre-
approvals”, a lower range of acceptance, but sufficient to integrate the COVAX, provided there is a commercial agreement between the parties.
Trademark issue
Beyond the fact that several COVAX vaccines are in the "green" phase, the meaning of the initiative - they say on their official website - is that
the commercial part is one step ahead of production
.
This will avoid unnecessary delays, and the vaccines, fresh out of the oven, can be distributed, without commercial obstacles.
What are the brands that are already in the COVAX?
The following list has a meaning, since
any of these brands could arrive in Argentina in the future
.
Sure, once they have the approval for national emergency use.
President Alberto Fernández this week received the first dose of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik.
Photo Presidency of the Nation
Those of phase 3 in the COVAX are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novovax and CureVac (of Germany).
In phase 2, Inovio and Bio E (India).
In addition, in phase 1 are Clover Biopharmaceuticals (China) and Institut Pasteur-Merck-Themis (France, United States and Austria).
In the preclinical phase, the SK Bioscience vaccines (from South Korea), one from the University of Hong Kong and another for now discontinued from the University of Queensland-CSL (Australia).
As the
Russian vaccine
was not pre-approved by the WHO, it
does not, for now, include COVAX
.
One assumes that when the Gamaleya Center releases preliminary phase 3 data,
the WHO should speak in some direction
.
It is a cryptic subject and, considering that other brands in the initial phases of investigation already integrate the mentioned fund, it is difficult to understand what issue keeps Sputnik out.
But just this week, the Sputnik developers addressed this issue: they
expressed their willingness to collaborate with the COVAX system
, although they themselves qualified the matter.
"We will
work with COVAX, but definitely (that initiative) will not replace the approach we have used so far, which is to
supply the vaccine directly to countries,
" said Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) director Kiril Dmitriev.
More vaccines, fewer vaccines, everything depends, ultimately, on the money available.
The objectives are ambitious.
In 2020, the COVAX fund raised $ 2 billion, but this year, they estimate, they will need to raise more than double that: at least
$ 4.6 billion
to promote research and development against the coronavirus.
ACE
Look also
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