COVID-19: Africa urged to allocate adequate resources to secure vaccines

HEALTH | COVID-19

A leading African Immunization expert has called on African countries and the international community to take concrete actions to ensure the continent has equitable access to the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. 

Dr Omu Anzala, a Kenyan professor of virology and immunology said Africa should start planning logistics and distribution of vaccines instead of being skeptical and hesitant.  

"The emerging global issue right now is acceptance of the vaccines, availability and its access," said Dr Anzala.  

He is also the lead researcher at the Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative at the Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR), Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Nairobi. 

Dr Anzala in an online press briefing on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, urged African governments to allocate adequate resources to secure adequate supply of Covid-19 vaccines that are likely to be approved for use against the deadly virus. 

"It is dangerous for African countries not to allocate enough funds to purchase the vaccines, pinning their hopes on donors."  

"Developed countries are doing the opposite. They have already started allocating resources to buy and distribute the vaccines," said Dr Anzala.  

The United Kingdom, for example, has preordered 195 million dozes of the AstraZeneca vaccine for its citizens. 

Dr Anzala explained the top three vaccine candidates by Oxford University, Moderna and Pfizer are based on platforms that have been previously used.  

He urged African policy makers not worry about the speed or safety and efficacy of vaccines, and instead start planning for necessary logistics to have the cold chain of the vaccines. 

"This is not going to be the standard cold chain we know about for the other vaccines. We want to appreciate African countries putting together logistics for the cold chain and beginning to plan how these vaccines arrive locally," Dr Anzala cautions. 

"The cold chain required for distribution of the vaccine is not going to be similar to the usual child vaccines." 

"As a medical doctor, I know very well that the best hope for controlling any infectious disease is a vaccine."  

"Even in places where we have treatment, people die but vaccines save lives," said Dr Anzala.  

He explained vaccines can either offer protection from the disease or offer protection from infections.  

"It means that once you have been vaccinated, you are likely not going to get infected with COVID-19 virus." 

Dr Anzala said although all the potential vaccines can all be trusted for safety and efficacy, as a measure of good practice and to be double sure that they will return positive results in Africa, African countries should also conduct clinical trials of the vaccines in their populations. 

Currently in Africa, only South Africa and Kenya are participating in the Oxford University vaccine trials. 

"It would also be appropriate to test the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to better understand their performance in an African setting," said Dr. Anzala. 

"If it all goes well, I see towards the end of first quarter 2021 two vaccines that are in frontline could be available, but this could be expedited if African countries start budgeting to purchase the vaccines,'' said Dr Anzala. 

He indicated that the African Union is interested in negotiating to fund access to vaccines without necessarily depending on the donor community. 

"Successful development, trials, approval, access, and acceptance will be a game- changer on the continent," observed Dr Anzala, one of the leading HIV Aids vaccine hunters in Africa. 

Dr Anzala reiterated the significance of prioritizing who should get the vaccine first, once it becomes available.  

He said it is critical for people at higher risk of getting infected and experiencing complications to be considered first.  

"This is a subject policymakers and experts should promptly discuss", he noted. 

Evidence has shown that for the older people, there is an increased mortality rate even without the pre- existing medical conditions (comorbidities).  

"So, shielding the elderly, frontline workers and those with comorbidities will save lives. ‘We have a problem of anti-vaccine lobby groups that needs to be discussed and addressed," he said. 

Dr Anzala said healthcare professionals, opinion leaders, clerics, policy makers and the media should help educate the public on safety and efficacy of vaccines in order to avoid misconceptions and mistrust of life-saving vaccines.