COVAX Joint Declaration on Equal Recognition of Vaccines

COVAX is built on the principle of equal access to COVID-19 vaccines to protect the health of people around the world. This means protecting their lives and livelihoods, including their ability to travel and trade. As travel and other opportunities begin to open up in some parts of the world, COVAX encourages all regional, national and local authorities to recognize as fully vaccinated all people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine that the world considered safe and effective Health Organization and / or 11 strict regulatory bodies (SRA) approved for COVID-19 vaccines, when making decisions about who can travel or attend events.

Any measure that allows people protected by a subset of WHO-approved vaccines to benefit from reopening travel to and from that region would effectively create a two-tier system, further expand the global vaccine divide and exacerbate the inequalities we already see in COVID-19 distribution. vaccines. This would negatively affect the growth of the economies that are already suffering the most.

Such moves are already undermining confidence in life-saving vaccines, which have already been shown to be safe and effective, affect vaccine downloads and potentially expose billions of people. At a time when the world is trying to rebuild trade, commerce and travel, it is counter-efficient, both in spirit and outcome.

COVAX commends countries that have already demonstrated a commitment to fairness and safety by accepting passengers protected by all WHO-approved vaccines (EML) and / or 11 strict regulatory bodies (SRAs) approved for COVID-19 vaccines. We call on other nations and regions to do the same.

Notes to editors

About COVAX

COVAX, the COVID-19 Tools Accelerator Vaccine Pillar (ACT), co-conveyed by the Coalition for Innovation in Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), Gavi, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance (WHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF as a key implementing partner, vaccine manufacturers in developed and developing countries, the World Bank and others. It is the only global initiative working with governments and manufacturers to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide and in higher and lower income countries.

The role of CEPI in COVAX

CEPI is leading the way COVAX vaccine research and development portfolio, investing in the research and development of various promising candidates, with the aim of supporting the development of three safe and effective vaccines that can be made available to countries participating in the COVAX program. As part of this work, CEPI has secured the first right to refuse potentially more than a billion doses for the COVAX plant to a number of candidates and made strategic investments in vaccine production, including reserving capacity to produce COVAX vaccine doses in the facility network and providing glass bottles for 2 billion vaccine doses. . CEPI is also investing in the ‘next generation’ of vaccine candidates, which will provide the world with additional opportunities to control COVID-19 in the future.

Gavi’s role in COVAX

Gavi conducts procurement and wholesale delivery for COVAX: design and management COVAX facility and Gavi COVAX AMC and working with its traditional allied partners UNICEF and WHO, together with governments, on country readiness and delivery. As part of this role, Gavi hosts the COVAX Plant Office for Coordination and Management of the Mechanism as a whole, maintains financial and legal relations with 193 facility participants and manages COVAX Facility job portfolio: negotiating advance purchase agreements with manufacturers of prospective vaccine candidates to provide doses on behalf of all COVAX Facility participants. Gavi also coordinates the design, operationalization, and fundraising for Gavi COVAX AMC, a mechanism that provides access to donor-funded doses in 92 lower-income economies. As part of this work, Gavi provides funding and oversight for UNICEF’s procurement and delivery of vaccines to all AMC participants – by operating advance purchase agreements between Gavi and manufacturers – as well as supporting partners and government work on readiness and delivery. This includes tailored support to governments, UNICEF, WHO and other partners for cold chain equipment, technical assistance, syringes, vehicles and other aspects of an extremely complex logistics delivery operation. Gavi has also co-designed, raised funds for and supported the operationalization of AMC without a fault compensation mechanism as well as COVAX humanitarian buffer.

The role of THAT in COVAX

WHO has more roles in it COVAX: Provides normative guidance on vaccine policy, regulations, safety, research and development, allocation and readiness and delivery in the country. Its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization develops evidence-based immunization policy recommendations. Its Emergency Inventories (SADs) / Prequalification ensure harmonized review and approval in all Member States. It provides global coordination and support to Member States in monitoring vaccine safety. It has developed target product profiles for COVID-19 vaccines and provides technical coordination of research and development. TKO leads, together with UNICEF, Workflow readiness and delivery in the country, which provides support to countries in preparing to receive and administer vaccines. Together with Gavi and numerous other partners working globally, regionally and nationally, the CRD workflow provides tools, guidance, oversight and technical assistance in the field for planning and implementation. vaccines. In addition to COVAX partners, WHO has developed And fault-free compensation scheme as part of time-limited liability and indemnity obligations

The role of UNICEF in COVAX

UNICEF leverages its experience as the largest single buyer of vaccines in the world and works with manufacturers and partners to procure doses of COVID-19 vaccine, as well as cargo, logistics and storage. UNICEF already procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccine annually for routine immunization and response to the outbreak on behalf of nearly 100 countries. In cooperation with PAHO working capital fund, UNICEF is leading efforts for the procurement and supply of doses of COVID-19 vaccine for COVAX. In addition, UNICEF, Gavi and WHO are working with governments day and night to ensure that countries are ready to receive vaccines, with appropriate cold chain equipment and health workers trained to issue them. UNICEF also plays a leading role in efforts to promote trust in vaccines, providing communications about vaccine trust and monitoring and addressing misinformation around the world.

About the ACT accelerator

Access to COVID-19 Tools ACT-Accelerator is a new, revolutionary global collaboration that accelerates the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. It was established in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and was launched by the WHO, the European Commission, France and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020.

The ACT-Accelerator is not a decision-making body nor is it a new organization, but works to accelerate the joint efforts of existing organizations to stop a pandemic. It is a collaborative framework designed to bring key players together at the table with a view to ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through accelerated development, equitable distribution and expanded delivery of tests, treatment and vaccines, protecting system health and rebuilding societies and economies in the short term. It draws on the experience of the world’s leading health organizations, which deal with the most difficult health challenges in the world and which, by working together, can unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID-19. Its members are committed to providing all people with access to all the tools needed to win COVID-19 and working with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it.

The ACT-Accelerator has four areas of operation: diagnostics, therapy, vaccines, and the health system connector. Intersecting all is a workflow of access and assignment.