Vaccine hesitancy is a problem in some low- and lower-middle-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a joint statement made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Trade Organization (WTO).
The statement also highlighted that several LICs and LMICs are having difficulty deploying vaccines. Doses arriving with short shelf lives and without adequate lead time, as well as shortages in ancillary supplies (such as syringes, safety boxes, and dilutants), exacerbate storage, cold chain capacity, and trained vaccinators, with challenges to plan and finance vaccination campaigns in a timely manner.
“We ask for improved cooperation among vaccine makers, dose-donating countries, COVAX, AVAT, and other partners to improve visibility on vaccine supply schedules and quality for LICs and LMICs, to assist country-level planning and preparedness for translating vaccines into vaccinations.”
“Adequate lead times and shelf lives of vaccinations, as well as visibility on schedules, are crucial for both equitable distribution and preparing recipient countries and their partners for in-country deployment.
“In the following months, increasing amounts of COVID-19 vaccinations are expected to arrive in LICs and LMICs. Close collaboration among all stakeholders will be essential in providing countries with the assistance and resources they need to expand their capacity to deliver such doses.
“In this regard, we applaud UNICEF and WHO’s recent appointment of the Global Lead Coordinator for COVID Vaccine Country Readiness and Delivery, who will play a critical role in boosting in-country vaccine deployment in collaboration with Gavi,” it stated.
The complete statement is below…
The Multilateral Leaders Task Force will hold its seventh meeting on December 17, 2021, with the theme “From Vaccines to Vaccinations.”
Joint Proclamation
On December 17, 2021, the heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organization, and World Trade Organization met with Gavi and UNICEF to discuss increasing the use of COVID-19 vaccines and other critical medical countermeasures in low-income (LIC) and lower middle-income (LMIC) countries, as well as assisting countries in becoming better prepared, resourced, and ready to roll out vaccines.
We agreed that vaccinations in LICs, where less than 5% of the population is fully vaccinated, and LMICs, where roughly 30% of the population is fully vaccinated, must be accelerated. We decided to collaborate with countries to support and boost national vaccination goals in line with the global aim of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by mid-2022. The advent of the Omicron variation emphasizes the critical importance of equitable and widespread access to vaccines, as well as testing, sequencing, and therapies, in order to bring the pandemic to an end.
Increasing vaccine supply to COVAX and AVAT, encouraging LICs and LMICs to acquire extra vaccine doses, and improving nation readiness to deploy vaccines are all needed to address vaccine disparity, particularly in LICs. Furthermore, export restrictions must be lifted and trade-facilitating measures must be implemented to encourage the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines and other COVID technologies.
Vaccine deployment is proving difficult in some LICs and LMICs. Doses arriving with short shelf lives and without adequate lead time, as well as shortages in ancillary supplies (such as syringes, safety boxes, and dilutants), exacerbate storage, cold chain capacity, and trained vaccinators, with challenges to plan and finance vaccination campaigns in a timely manner. Vaccine hesitancy is a problem in several LICs and LMICs, just as it is in wealthier countries.
To overcome these issues, we urge governments that have already attained high coverage levels to:
free manufacturers from contracts and options and perform delivery swaps so they can prioritize supply to COVAX, AVAT, and low-coverage countries; complete their donation obligations as rapidly as possible to accelerate near-term deliveries to COVAX;
Governments that have not yet achieved high immunization coverage are urged to:
Establish in-country surge capacity to increase the rate of vaccine utilization as supplies increase; and coordinate between health and finance authorities to make increased use of multilateral development banks’ resources that are readily available for both vaccine purchase and deployment through AVAT, COVAX, or bilaterally.
To enhance country-level planning and preparedness for putting vaccines into vaccinations, we ask for better cooperation among vaccine makers, dose-donating countries, COVAX, AVAT, and other partners to increase visibility on vaccine supply schedules and quality of supply for LICs and LMICs. Visibility on schedules, as well as proper lead times and shelf lives for vaccinations, are essential for both equitable distribution and preparation for in-country deployment by recipient countries and their partners.
COVID-19 vaccinations are expected to arrive in increasing numbers in LICs and LMICs in the coming years.
