What Moderna should do
Moderna's vaccine saves lives. But Moderna needs to increase production.
Moderna is doing too little, too late - but the good news is they can do more.
The WHO and its partners, including the Africa CDC, are prepared to work with Moderna to build vaccine manufacturing capacity abroad. This would occur in parallel to Moderna's production, without disrupting their current operations. A 2023 plant in Africa is too little too late given that there are already companies capable of producing mRNA Covid vaccines in six countries on three continents.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is able to establish additional manufacturing capacity with the same contractors Moderna already uses to produce their vaccine. Moderna should communicate its willingness to partner in this way. Moderna's operations would not be affected, and the company would get additional royalties, but the world would get vaccines much sooner.
Make more ambitious commitments to low and lower-middle income countries
A couple million doses won't cut it when we need over 20 billion doses over the next year (full report).
Moderna is on the record stating they will deliver 1 billion doses to low income countries in 2022, despite only delivering 35 million in 2021. We're watching closely to see if they meet this commitment.
Vaccine inequity is unbearable
We are far from having enough vaccines to meet the estimated 20 billion dose shortfall.
mRNA vaccines will be most effective against the next variant and most protective against new variants forming. The next variant could be worse.
Some argue that people in unvaccinated areas aren't dying of Covid-19 and don't need the shot, but even with under counting, 1.6 million people have died in low and lower-middle income countries.
Vaccine supplies are low or absent where people are lining up to get the shot. Hear from our friends in Uganda.
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