Centralized and Decentralized Supplies of COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries: Both COVAX and Competition Motivated by Vaccine Diplomacy Play Each Role

Abstract

2001 WTO Doha Declaration and Advance Market Commitment (AMC), which were both designed to promote supply of medicines and vaccines for HIV/AIDS and neglected tropical diseases in the beginning of this century, were applied for furthering COVID-19 vaccine supply to developing countries in 2021. AMC was developed into COVAX, which is a COVID-19 vaccine distribution mechanism. Both COVAX and self-motivated vaccine developers individually contributed to swift inventions of a variety of COVID-19 vaccines and considerably low prices of them. The centralized policy instrument, ­i.e. COVAX, and decentralized innovation activities made by private pharmaceuticals firms, played important and reinforcing roles each other.