In a recently released list revealing the current situation regarding coronavirus vaccine development, the World Health Organization listed 10 candidate vaccines that are undergoing clinical evaluation. The British-Swedish drug-maker, AstraZeneca/Oxford University, tops the list with testing of their AZD1222 vaccine currently having been rolled out to more than 10,000 adults. With such developments in evidence this article reviews the current state of affairs regarding the development of a coronavirus vaccine together with statements from certain governments regarding its deployment.
AstraZeneca has already signed two deals which would allow it to achieve the potential supply of 2 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine. A US$750 m deal with two charities – the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance – backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will enable the manufacture and distribution of 300 million vaccine doses. The second partnership, with the Serum Institute of India (SII), will enable the provision of 1 billion vaccine doses to low-and middle-income countries, some before the end of 2020. About 700 million doses will be provided to the US government and European governments.
AstraZeneca has stated that it will be in a position by August to confirm if the AZD1222 coronavirus vaccine is effective. The US and UK governments are the main funders for the development of this vaccine, providing over US$ 1 billion between them.
So far, a number of states, both countries insisting on mandatory vaccinations and those offering freedom of choice, have expressed their stance regarding the possible deployment of a coronavirus vaccine. A handful of governments have already announced that they will make the coronavirus vaccine mandatory while others have stated that, although the vaccine will not be made fully mandatory, it will be applied to those in certain categories or be coerced using indirect methods.
In May, spokesperson Ulrike Demmer of the German government stated that the country would not introduce mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus. The statement came after a wave of negative sentiments throughout the German population following government restrictions. In several cities, an increasing number of gatherings have taken place including supporters of the anti-vaccine movement. A recent survey showed that only half of Germans are keen to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, in March, the German parliament changed the Infection Protection Act to give the federal government more powers in times of a national epidemic emergency.
UK health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he does not “rule out” compulsory vaccinations but added that the government anticipates substantial voluntary demand for vaccination. “I think that the extent of the public’s reaction towards adhering to the lockdown shows that we will be able to achieve very high levels of vaccination without taking that step.” The Chief Knowledge Officer of Public Health England, John Newton, stated that the most successful vaccine programs tend to be by consent.
In Switzerland, Dominique Sprumont, deputy director of the Institute of Swiss Health Law at the University of Neuchâtel, has said that the vaccine will be compulsory, “but compulsory does not mean forced”. He revealed that immunization will be obligatory for healthcare professionals and others whose work brings them in close contact with the public.
The Canadian Prime-Minister has stated that it is too early to speak of how immunizations will take place. However, he added that “there’s been a lot of studies done on that over the past years in terms of what threshold of the population needs to be vaccinated in order to prevent any spread of a disease.” A public poll conducted in Canada at the end of April showed that Canadians are divided over whether having the vaccine should be mandatory or voluntary which could open up a public health debate if a vaccine does become available.
The Australian Science Minister has said that discussions on whether the vaccine will be mandatory are starting to take place. She stated that the Australian government’s view is that a vaccine will be required to fully eliminate the virus. “Until such time as we have a vaccine, life is not going to return to normal,” she said.
The picture looks different in developing countries where governments are more in favor of implementing a mandatory coronavirus vaccine. Some countries are going through the process of adopting stricter, controversial laws regarding infectious diseases and instances of outbreaks or pandemics.
The Malaysian Health Ministry plans to make COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory once a vaccine has been found and proven to be effective. “Right now, we don’t have the vaccine so we can’t be sure. We have to see how effective and safe it is. There is a big possibility it may be compulsory, but we have to assess before making a decision,” the Health Minister, Noor Hisham Abdullah, stated.
Over the last month, Nigeria has been debating the controversial National Emergency Health Bill. The Bill has triggered outrage among Nigerians not only because of the provisions within it, but also the hasty discussion and swift passing of the Bill by members of Parliament. The Bill makes provisions relating to quarantine and includes regulations regarding preventing the introduction and spread of dangerous infectious diseases in Nigeria. It is heavily criticized for giving too much power to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the management of infectious diseases and pandemics which could infringe upon the fundamental human rights of Nigerians. One major aspect of the Bill which is causing controversy is the power it gives to a Health Officer to vaccinate on a person leaving or coming into the country if he thinks this is appropriate.
Which countries have mandatory vaccinations programs?
Even if a coronavirus vaccine is not made mandatory, certain coercive methods might be implemented as is already the case with other vaccines. Vaccination may be required as a condition of re-entry to a country or governments could impose consequences for those who refuse to be vaccinated such as a reduction in welfare, exclusion from daycare or schools and financial penalties.
Here are the countries with mandatory COVID-19 vaccine: 15 states from the European continent have mandatory vaccination policies in place with 5 from this list even enforcing citizens to comply. France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, as well as the Balkans, Lithuania and Bulgaria already have mandatory vaccination programs in place for some diseases.
What has so far become clear is that the coronavirus vaccination might be free of charge, funded by certain governments or foundations. The US House of Representatives has already passed the “Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act” which provides funding for the government to purchase coronavirus vaccines to be made available to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries free of charge. The Act prohibits Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries from being charged any cost contribution.
Meanwhile, at a virtual vaccine summit in the UK last week, the Gavi Alliance announced a US$2 billion fund aimed at ensuring that poorer countries can access, free of charge or at an affordable cost, a potential coronavirus vaccine. Governments, private sector companies and private foundations are making contributions to the fund. Gavi has announced that it has so far received more than US$500 million from 12 donors including Italy, the UK, Norway, Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
DevelopmentAid currently has almost 1000 open and forecast tenders related to Covid-19. To review these, visit the website.
