Hyderabad: As coronavirus cases continue to shoot up across the globe, the development of COVID-19 vaccines that can be used globally is, therefore, a priority for ending the pandemic, WHO said.
The current response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic involves an aggressive implementation of suppression strategies, such as case identification, quarantine and isolation, contact tracing and social distancing.
In February, 2020, the World Bank and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which funds development of epidemic vaccines, co-hosted a global consultation that led to the launch of a COVID-19 Vaccine Development Taskforce that is now working on how to finance and manufacture vaccines for global access.
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On the other hand, CEPI estimates that developing up to three vaccines in the next 12–18 months will require an investment of at least US$2 billion.
Through this fund, CEPI can act as a global mechanism for funding vaccine development until vaccines can be licensed or used under emergency use provisions.
On March 16, 2020, the G7 committed to supporting the launch of joint research projects for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. Further, world leaders at a G7 video summit explained that a high-level dialogue is needed on ways to ensure complementarity of efforts and global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
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With more than 8 lakh positive cases and nearly 43,459 fatalities across the world, the need for COVID-19 vaccine is global, even though the need is differentially distributed within populations.
