Corona Daily 435: Vaccine vs Vaccines

The world is waiting for a miracle vaccine to combat Coronavirus. Meanwhile 80 million children under one year of age are at risk of contracting deadly, vaccine-preventable diphtheria, measles and polio. The pandemic and lockdown have disrupted routine immunization programs.

The global vaccine initiative is the pride of human civilization. It has been hugely successful despite politicians. Since the World Health Assembly resolution in 1988, 10 million volunteers have administered 10 billion doses of polio vaccine alone. In rich countries, parents take appointments to take their children to clinics for inoculation. In India, a 1.4 billion nation, volunteers go door-to-door looking for children to vaccinate. In poor African countries, children are inoculated in communal settings, in the marketplace, in schools, in churches and mosques.

Polio, a paralyzing disease, has no cure, only a preventive vaccine. Some of my schoolmates have spent their entire life on crutches, simply because a few drops were not administered to them at the right time. In one of mankind’s most remarkable feats, polio has now been eradicated in all but three countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. At the beginning of this year, Nigeria was on the verge of becoming polio-free. But once the pandemic began, Nigeria had to cancel immunizing 37.6 million children.

Africa has been affected the most. 80% of the flights that deliver vaccines and syringes to Africa were cancelled. Worldwide, health care workers were either locked down, or diverted to the Covid-19 patients. In countries where volunteers can move freely, they lack protective gear. Parents are worried about taking their children to the clinics. The flights in operation have doubled or trebled freight rates. UNICEF or other non-profit health organizations can’t afford those freights or charter flights.

In 2018, 86% of children under five were vaccinated with three doses of Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pretussis (DTP3), apart from polio and measles. Every young girl should receive HPV vaccine against cervical cancer. Most immunization programs now stand disrupted. Congo is currently fighting Ebola as well as measles. Last year 6000 died of measles. Measles epidemics are feared in the coming months in Congo, Benin, Niger, Tajikistan, Cambodia and Mongolia.

Next week, on 4 June, the Global Vaccine Summit will take place in London/online. Strategies will be presented to resume the immunization.

Every year, UNICEF sources 2.4 billion doses from 100 countries. India, the number one producer of vaccines, makes half of them. For the sake of African babies, India needs to take active steps to restart the export.

Internally, the Indian government needs to include immunization in the essential services and facilitate protective gear and transport for the volunteers.

India has so far allocated Rs 100 crore ($ 14 million) for Coronavirus vaccine development. India’s finance minister allocated a handsome Rs 13,343 crore ($ 2 billion) for 100% vaccination of its 530 million population of cattle, buffalos, sheep, goats and pigs. Let those initiatives not distract the government from catching up on the missed vaccinations for children.

Ravi