COVID-19 vaccine: Where are we?

As global cases of COVID-19 cases reached 47 million and deaths reaching 1.2 million, talks of vaccine to further curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic has become an utmost priority.

COVID-19 vaccine development

There are over 150 vaccines in various phases of development, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

11 of which have reached Phase 3 trial:

United Kingdom (UK): The University of Oxford and AstraZeneca
United States (US): Moderna
US: Novavax
US/Germany: Pfizer and BioNTech
China: CanSino with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology
China: Beijing Institute of Biological Products and Sinopharm
China: Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Sinopharm
China/Brazil: Sinovac and Instituto Butantan
Belgium: Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies
Russia: Gamaleya Research Institute
India: Bharat Biotech, Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology

In the past, it can typically take from 10-15 years for vaccine to be made available in the market.

However, with rapid development of COVID-19 vaccine, most experts believed that a vaccine would be made available earliest by mid-2021.

Vaccine diplomacy

There has been a global race of countries acquiring vaccine by purchasing doses of them before they are even approved.

With richer countries such as the UK, US, and Germany being in the lead, poorer nations that have already exhausted their healthcare system, may not even be able to get their hands on the vaccines at all.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had emphasized that the virus “respects no borders”, thus a vaccine must be seen as “a global public good”.

A #COVID19 vaccine must be seen as a global public good, because the virus respects no borders. Vaccines & treatments must be affordable, safe, effective, and universally available for everyone, everywhere. https://t.co/9Ij9wiGQWP
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 18, 2020

Similarly, WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that while it is natural for countries to protect their own citizens, the only way to fully recover from the pandemic is by working together and ensuring that poorer countries had fair access to a vaccine.

“Let me be clear: vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it.”

ICYMI, watch here the full remarks by @DrTedros at the @WorldHealthSmt opening #WHS2020 pic.twitter.com/JtQBzyAljK
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 25, 2020

In April, COVAX, an international initiative co-led by WHO and partners was established to ensure effective and equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines. It now has 184 member states, including Malaysia.

The World Bank recently also announced an approval of US$12 billion for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments for their citizens.

Countries securing COVID-19 vaccine

Russia’s Sputnik V will be distributing its supply to Latin America as early as December 2020, having received 1.2 billion requests for deliveries across the globe.

Vietnam has ordered vaccines from partners in Russia and the UK.

Through Operation Warp Speed, The US aims to produce and deliver 300 million doses of vaccines initial doses be made available by January 2021. Recently, it announced that it will be expecting up to 100 million doses by the end of the year.

The UK has placed orders of 340 million doses of different vaccines from several manufacturers in hopes that one will be successful in clinal trials in the coming months.

Besides a vaccine development cooperation with China and South Korea, Indonesia has secured a commitment of 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from UK’s AstraZeneca for delivery next year.

Japan has made arrangements with UK’s AstraZeneca Plc and US’s Pfizer Inc to procure 120 million doses of vaccine and negotiating with US’s Moderna Inc for an additional 40 million doses. The Japanese government also vouched to give out the vaccine for free to its citizens.

What about Malaysia?

Malaysia is expected to secure access to COVID-19 vaccine supply in the first quarter of 2021.

In a joint statement by The Health Ministry (MOH) along with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI), it was confirmed that MOH has been in contact with eight vaccine candidates who are now at the third phase of clinical trial.

SIARAN MEDIA: MESYUARAT PERTAMA JAWATANKUASA KHAS JAMINAN AKSES VAKSIN COVID-19 PERHALUSI PEROLEHAN VAKSIN #mosti #vaksincovid19 #JKJAV pic.twitter.com/jBsnlBRyFR
— MOSTI (@officialmosti) October 24, 2020

The government will provide financial allocation for the vaccine purchase through the Finance Ministry’s COVID-19 Fund while priority would be given to frontliners from the health and security sectors such as doctors, nurses, police as well as prison and immigration personnel.

Malaysia has also announced last month that it would be joining COVAX and would be negotiating bilaterally with other countries to procure vaccines.

Through talks between Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and his visiting Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, China had also agreed to list Malaysia as a priority recipient of the vaccine after it has completed clinical trials.

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein during a joint news conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur – foto BERNAMA

The government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China to ensure Malaysia will be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from the country once it has successfully been developed, possibly by the end of the year.