Small-pocket States being squeezed out of COVID-19 vaccine access by influential countries – Caricom Chair

Amidst a global rush to access the COVID-19 vaccines, Chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Dr Keith Rowley, has pointed out that Small Developing States like members of the regional bloc are being squeezed out of accessing the jab by big pocket, influential countries.

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago made this remark at a virtual press briefing to mark the close of the two-day 32nd Intersessional Meeting of the Heads of Government of Caricom on Thursday.
“We have been literally squeezed out of the access to vaccines. We know that there is world shortage of vaccines, but what had been put in place to allow countries like us to have access to the vaccine have not been working along those lines, and the end result is that at this time, we’ve only had one gift of 170,000 vaccines within our region, and up to now we haven’t been able to access any other,” Dr Rowley contended.

The Caricom Chair noted that when contact is made with manufacturers, they indicate that they cannot take any orders, since they already have huge commitments with other countries. He added that even suppliers have a similar sentiment when they are contacted.
“Countries with deep pockets and great influence have contracted the early production of the [Oxford/AstraZeneca] vaccines and similar ones in some of the bigger countries… What we have been experiencing as countries with small pockets… [is that] the large suppliers and the major countries have bought up all the supplies, and the suppliers are telling us that they are unable to access orders from us because of their commitment to those who have access to those vaccines,” he related.
Moreover, Dr Rowley disclosed that there are some countries that are willing to sell the COVID jab under conditions, such as a confidential arrangement so that the buying states cannot disclose the cost at which they got the vaccines.
“But we discover different people can be charged hugely different prizes… That is the environment in which the vaccine access and purchase is now,” the Community Chairman stated.
Nevertheless, Caricom on Thursday issued a missive in which the regional bloc expressed its collective dissatisfaction and deep concerns over the inequitable access to vaccines for Small Developing States.
“Caricom calls for equitable access to vaccines in order to curb the impact of the pandemic, to protect our citizens and bolster the economy. As the virus does not discriminate, access to vaccines should not be discriminatory, with a few countries dominating the market with their resources and their volumes. Heads of Government noted that, to date, even countries with the funds to purchase have been unable to procure and receive vaccines through commercial arrangements, given the relatively small volumes which they seek,” the statement detailed.
Member States further noted that although they have all signed on to the highly valued and appreciated COVAX Facility, the only vaccines received in the region to date were through the generosity of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who has donated 170,000 vaccines to Barbados and Dominica through bilateral arrangements. Caricom has commended Prime Minister Modi for his generosity which, it is understood, will be continued. They also thanked Barbados and Dominica for having shared their initial supplies from India with other Member States in the Community.
Further, the regional countries pointed out that while the COVAX Facility, which was established with the aim of ensuring equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, will provide up to 20 per cent of Members’ needs, this limited supply will not allow them to attain the regional herd immunity which is so necessary to fuel the resilient recovery that we are seeking.
“Heads of Government therefore call for a mechanism that allows smaller countries to have access to sufficient vaccines at the earliest juncture, if action is to be put behind the oft-repeated phrase that ‘no-one is safe until everyone is safe’,” the missive detailed.
The region is expected to receive vaccines under this facility between March and April, with the expectation of additional tranches later in the year.
Other initiatives, such as procurement through the African Union’s African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), as well as bilateral arrangements, are being pursued by some Member States with the support of CARICOM. We commend the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the African Union for having carved out an allocation for CARICOM countries.
However, according to PM Rowley, while the Community has agreed to put in a request via this arrangement, Members will have to first pay up.
“All countries are required to pay so that the shipment can be made, and we have committed to do that in such a way that will allow them to assist us by sharing the vaccines that they are getting…,” the CARICOM Chair noted.
Moreover, the Community Members have since urge developed countries – and especially those in the neighbourhood, whose populations travel frequently to this region, and who host the Caribbean’s largest diaspora populations – to make some available to the Community, initially as an interim supply given the immediacy of the need.
In fact, Caricom has taken a decision to write to the governments of some traditional partners on the matter, including the United States of America.
During Thursday’s virtual press briefing, Dr Rowley had pointed out, “…we fear that if we wait too long to get our supplies, there is always this danger that this new variant can take place within our borders here, and that can undo what they are doing there in inoculating their populations. And because we are so close in sharing space, and economically if anything is going to happen to improve our economics, we need to travel and we need to open up our borders, but that is predicated on us all being properly vaccinated so that we will have the same level of health.”
Further, the statement added that attention is needed at the multilateral level, and to this end, the Community has called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene a Global Summit to address urgently equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for developing countries, which should be held in the context of the World Health Organization’s ACT-A Facilitation Council.