COVAX Needs a Political Future
The financial strengthening and institutional development of the new multilateral vaccine platform COVAX is in the health, economy and security interests of Western states, argue Michèle Gemünden and Jan Thiel in this CSS Policy Perspective.
Key points
- Unilateral pre-sale contracts weaken the new multilateral procurement mechanism COVAX, which aims to ensure access to vaccines for all risk groups and medical personnel worldwide, regardless of the purchasing power of the respective state.
- A balanced international distribution of vaccines is in the health-, economy-, and security-related interests of Western states, which should therefore work towards a perpetuation of the COVAX mechanism beyond the current crisis.
- Further development of the mechanism is needed to ensure an efficient distribution of vaccines. In addition to a centralized approval process and a market-oriented reform of patent law, flexible purchase options would increase the attractiveness of vaccine procurement via the multilateral platform for rich countries as well.