The US still blocks the export of vaccine materials while other countries need it urgently

To combat the pandemic at home, the United States has given its vaccine manufacturers priority access to necessary materials produced by the country before other countries.
According to experts, this has led some countries to scramble for substitute products, exacerbating inequalities in access to vaccines.

Earlier, on May 5, the administration of President Joe Biden supported the removal of vaccine patent protection to speed up production around the world. If approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the move would allow other countries to create their own vaccines. However, according to reviews from Reuters , patent cancellation will not solve the current pressing problem: There is a worldwide shortage of vaccine components and equipment. Meanwhile, the United States, which holds a significant amount of vaccine production materials such as filters, tubes or specialized bags, is not ready to share with many other countries. Stickers are given to people who have received the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: Reuters. America’s “Priority” Act This action stems from America’s reliance on a 1950s Korean War-era law, known as the Defense Production Act (DPA), which allows federal agencies to prioritize orders defense-related purchases. For decades, the law has been used to provide military supplies and respond to everything from natural disasters to biennial census disruptions. The government of former President Donald Trump later invoked this law to put the US government at the top of the list to buy vaccines and other products made by the US to fight the epidemic. When talking about the DPA, Gavi – a vaccine alliance that includes international organizations, governments, pharmaceutical companies and many others – commented: “The biggest challenge in COVAX’s goal to achieve Equal access to vaccines is a limited global supply.” “Export controls on raw materials are a significant cause of this phenomenon and ultimately only prolong the pandemic,” the organization stressed. However, a senior Biden administration official said there is no export ban and all US-based suppliers have shipped products overseas after prioritizing manufacturers in the US. country. The official said the DPA does not cause a global shortage of vaccine materials, and the problems stem from overwhelming demand. Complaints from India Even with access to vaccine patents, countries hit hard by Covid-19 like India cannot produce vaccines without raw materials. The number of Covid-19 cases in India has been increasing continuously recently. Photo: Reuters. With the DPA, factories helped the US build a giant vaccine production system. About 45% of the US population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, according to data collected at the University of Oxford, UK, dozens of other countries, from South Africa to Guatemala, to Thailand, have only immunized about 1% or less of their population. The US DPA has been criticized by many vaccine manufacturers around the world, including the Serum Institute of India, the largest producer globally. On Twitter in late April, CEO Adar Poonawalla “on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the US” asked the US to lift its hold on raw materials “if we really want to unite to defeat this virus.” “. Starting in May, the company plans to produce billions of doses of the vaccine annually developed by the US-based company Novavax. However, the quantity would probably be more than halved without raw materials from the US. South Africa’s Biovac vaccine production institute also relies on an American company to produce bioreactor bags, the material needed for cell culture. CEO Morena Makhoana said Biovac was warned by its US supplier that product delivery times could be double the usual time to 14 months because of the DPA. “Unexpected demand” Some suppliers say the vaccine industry can do a better job than governments at managing limited resources to maximize global reach. “If the ultimate goal is to produce a vaccine, then we believe (the government) needs to let the industry connect with its stakeholders to be able to deliver the end product,” said Thermo Fisher Vice President, Thermo Fisher, Mr. Michel Lagarde, said. A Biden administration official said experts from various federal agencies discussed the US prioritization system. Officials can sometimes change delivery dates for the country to avoid disrupting vaccine projects in other countries. However, this is not enough when vaccine suppliers around the world are planning to meet demand. Accordingly, Cytiva, Pall and Thermo Fisher are expanding their production space in the US and abroad. Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: AP. Thermo Fisher urged customers to clarify which needs are urgent and which can wait. Even so, Mr. Lagarde said the company still tries to fulfill orders even if they are not considered a priority. Cytiva also announced it is expanding production, but the process will be limited by raw material shortages. “The world is experiencing unprecedented demand for biopharmaceutical products, technologies and solutions,” said Cytiva.