The UK government has inked deals for early access to two more coronavirus vaccine candidates.
In-principle arrangements with Novavax and Janssen will secure access for “UK citizens”, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said in a statement.
The companies have agreed to provide 60 million and 30 million doses, respectively.
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As part of the deal ministers have pledged to help Novavax conduct a phase three clinical trial for its vaccine candidate – the final safety and efficacy testing stage – and to support its eventual manufacture in Britain by Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.
Janssen’s jab, should it prove successful, will be made available “on a not-for-profit basis … to both the UK and the rest of the world to ensure the global supply and equitable access”, BEIS said.
Both could be available in mid-2021, the department added. Health workers, the elderly, the seriously unwell and people from minority ethnic groups would get priority access.
The World Health Organisation has urged wealthy countries not to hoover up vaccine doses at the expense of poorer ones.
“A vaccine that is affordable and accessible to all will help us address systemic health inequalities,” said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, its chief scientist, in July.
Alok Sharma, the business secretary, said in a statement: “While we are doing everything we can to ensure the British people get access to a successful vaccine as soon as possible, nobody is safe until we are all safe so global cooperation is absolutely critical if we are to defeat this virus once and for all.”
However, Heidi Chow, from the Global Justice Now campaign group, said the deals demonstrated ministers “complete disregard” for supporting poor countries’ access to immunisation.
She said: “This UK-first approach is fuelling vaccine nationalism as rich countries scramble to hoard vaccine supplies leaving poorer countries without. The fastest way to end this pandemic is through global collaboration.
“The government should work with other countries and support a global fair allocation process based on public health needs so that all vulnerable groups are immunised first, wherever they live.”
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The UK now has deals in place to buy a total of 340 million doses of six potential new vaccines.
Alex Harris, head of policy at the non-profit Wellcome Trust, said Britain should only buy the doses it really needs, in order to leave some available for other countries. “Where there is oversupply there must be willingness to donate surplus doses to a central pool. Countries cannot, and do not at this stage need to, buy for every citizen,” he said.
He added: “Today’s announcement puts the UK in a strong position. It is great to hear Alok Sharma say that these agreements will ensure fair and equitable access of a vaccine around the world, but it is now urgent that the government explains how.
“Without this clarity, the risk increases that other rich countries will seek to strike similar bilateral deals, potentially securing oversupply, leaving insufficient volumes of vaccine for the rest of the world.”
The Independent contacted BEIS for information on the cost of the Novavax and Janssen agreements.
