Vaccine inequality – why low-cost, large-scale testing is a lifeline for the world’s poorest countries

COVID has always been a class issue. At the height of the pandemic, people under 65 from the UK’s most deprived areas were almost four times more likely to die from the virus than people in the country’s most affluent regions. Older people in the nation’s poorest neighbourhoods were twice as likely to suffer from long-term conditions that put them at higher risk. Lower income is linked to lower vaccine take-up.?

On a global scale, the gap between health and wealth is even wider.?

Despite COVID’S devastating toll on our country, we’re among the lucky ones. Around the world, vaccine inequality is creating a pandemic of two parts. Monied nations are progressing from double doses to booster jabs, enjoying all the associated social and economic benefits, while poorer populations are left unprotected and vulnerable to an uncontrolled virus. Recent World Health Organisation (WHO) stats shine a harsh light on the imbalance:?

• To date, 5.85 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally – 75% of those have gone to just ten countries.
• Only 1.9%?of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
• In low and lower-middle income countries, 85% of the population (that’s 3.5 billion people) are still waiting for their first jab.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for richer nations to halt booster plans and step up vaccine donations. There are more than enough to go round. Research by data analytics firm Airfinity shows that, as of September 2021 across the UK, EU, US, Japan and Canada, there are 500 million vaccine doses available for redistribution – 360 million of those will be stockpiled.?

Meanwhile, global vaccine production continues at pace, with 6 billion doses produced to date.?By the end of 2021, the surplus could reach 1.2 billion, with 1.06 billion unmarked for donation. Shockingly, more than 100 million stored doses are due to expire this December.??

A worldwide catastrophe, waiting to happen?

Tackling vaccine inequality is in everyone’s interest. Most obviously, we have a moral responsibility to prevent a global health crisis and thousands (potentially millions) of avoidable deaths. This is our opportunity to step in before struggling nations are irretrievably left behind.?

If the bigger humanitarian picture isn’t convincing enough, the consequences of inaction could be. If the virus is allowed to spread unchecked through low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), we grant it time and license to create more lethal, more transmissible and vaccine-resistant strains. Then it’s only a matter of time until those mutations hit us at home. At best, we’ll be robbed of our newfound freedoms. At worst, we’ll face another, far deadlier COVID wave. Dr Tedros agrees:?

‘The virus will get the chance to circulate in countries with low vaccination coverage, and the Delta variant could evolve to become more virulent, and at the same time more potent variants could also emerge.’

With enough doses in storage or production to vaccinate 70% of the global population by May next year, world leaders are now under intense pressure to ramp up overseas vaccine rollouts. High profile initiatives – such as Tortoise Media’s #TheArmsRace campaign and The Evening Standard’s Vaccine for the World project – aim to build public awareness and get billions of jabs administered by mid-2022.?

But doses aren’t the only way to do our bit.?

Regular, widespread screening can help unvaccinated countries identify cases accurately and early so they can take meaningful action to stop the spread. To date, LMICs have faced significant challenges in manufacturing, sourcing or procuring high-quality, affordable lateral flow tests. Nations are either priced out or unable to find reliable suppliers.

We have been working with a number of partners to explore options for increasing access to lateral flow tests for LMIC communities. As we approach the winter we are looking to offer some accessible testing options to regions that need it most.?

Without question, we must get vaccines where they’re most needed. But with every breakthrough case, we’re reminded that even two doses don’t prevent infection and transmission. In LMICs and closer to home, vaccination is only part of the solution. Low-cost, large-scale testing provides a vital early warning system to help vulnerable countries act on risk and edge closer to recovery.