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The fight to manufacture COVID vaccines in lower-income countries

Drug companies and wealthy countries are facing increased pressure to partner with firms in the global south but are reluctant to relinquish control.
  1. Amy Maxmen
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Vaccines against COVID-19 are not reaching many people in the global south, despite donations from wealthy nations. Less than 1% of people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated, and just 10% are in lower-middle-income countries, compared with more than half in high-income countries.

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Nature 597, 455-457 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02383-z

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 16 September 2021: An earlier version of this article misquoted Thomas Cueni as referring to a list of 60 to 70 manufacturers in developing countries. In fact, he was referring to a checklist of 60 to 70 quality control criteria for manufacturers in developing countries, and he had noted that quality control is complex everywhere in the world. The story also incorrectly stated that the Serum Institute is contributing vaccines to COVAX. Although COVAX is expecting doses, an anonymous source with the Indian government told the Hindustan Times that the country’s vaccine export ban stands.

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