Medicines Australia unites with leading voices calling on PM to address ‘dangerous’ vaccine inequity

Pharma News: More than 70 of Australia’s leading health, business and aid organisations have signed on to an open letter calling on the Prime Minister Scott Morrison MP to make a budget commitment to accelerate the global vaccination effort and prevent the emergence of another COVID variant of concern.

Medicines Australia is one of many organisations represented in the open letter.

Elizabeth de Somer, CEO of Medicines Australia told Health Industry Hub “Although restrictions are easing here in Australia, COVID-19 continues to spread unchecked through large unvaccinated populations, especially in poorer nations.

“Vaccination rates in low-income countries remain unacceptably low. Only 10% of people in poorer nations have received at least one vaccine dose and our closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, only has a 2.6% full vaccination rate. Wealthier nations like Australia must do more to protect those who are vulnerable and reduce the risk of the next variant being deadly and disruptive.

“Australia is a generous nation. This open letter calls on the Government to step up additional funding for COVAX and tackle vaccine hesitancy so that everyone everywhere has equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine,” she added.

The letter was initiated by the End COVID For All in December 2021 as Omicron broke out and has now grown to include the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Business Council of Australia, the Burnet Institute, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and World Vision Australia.

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Citing the rise of a new variant of concern as an example of what can happen when the virus is left unchecked, they expressed their ‘grave concern’ over global vaccine inequity.

“The Australian Government has made important contributions to date to help our Indo-Pacific neighbours access vaccines and support national vaccine roll-outs, along with initial investments to the international effort to help vaccinate low income nations through the COVAX AMC. But this crisis is far from over.

“Despite G20 commitments last October to vaccinate at least 40% of the world’s population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022, we are dangerously off-track. We are calling for further urgent action by the Australian Government to commit its fair share to vaccinate the world and further assist our region.”

Specifically, they call for an additional $250 million to the COVAX fund to help get vaccines to vulnerable areas, citing an overall vaccination rate of 3% as well as rising case numbers in low-income countries. They also call for $50 million to counter vaccine hesitancy in the Indo-Pacific, as well as $100 million for CEPI to prepare for any future pandemics.

End COVD For All spokesperson and CEPI chair Jane Halton said the return on these investments far outweighs the cost.

“We are dangerously behind our targets to vaccinate the world. Less than six per cent of people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated and case numbers are increasing,” Ms Halton said.

“This not only puts these countries in a perilous position but is a significant threat to Australia. The emergence of Omicron in a region with dire vaccination rates proves, just as Delta did, that when left unchecked, COVID will mutate into more transmissible and deadly forms.”

End COVID For All spokesperson and Burnet Institute Director, Professor Brendan Crabb, said the Australian Government can help save lives by ramping up its contribution to the global vaccination effort.

“1,582 people died from COVID across Australia in January [2022] alone. We cannot simply wait for another variant to arrive and wreak havoc on our lives, our health system, aged care and economy,” Professor Crabb said.

“The International Monetary Fund estimates the cost may rise beyond $US12.5 trillion by the end of 2024. That’s a very large slice of a circa $100 trillion global economy. Investing in COVAX, tackling vaccine hesitancy in the Indo-Pacific and backing CEPI to reduce the chance of future outbreaks is a small ask to help stem the damage, save lives and end COVID for all.”