ReutersThe head of the world’s biggest vaccine maker and the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said manufacturers of coronavirus shots face a global shortage of the raw materials needed to churn out the inoculations.
Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India —which is licensed to produce hundreds of millions of Covid-19 vaccines from and Novavax — told a World Bank panel on Thursday that a US law blocking the export of certain key items, including bags and filters, will likely cause serious bottlenecks.
Soumya Swaminathan from the WHO added that there were shortfalls of vials, glass, plastic and stoppers required by those companies.
“The Novavax vaccine, which we’re a major manufacturer for, needs these items from the US,” Poonawalla said. “If we’re talking about building capacity all over the world, the sharing of these critical raw materials is going to become a critical limiting factor — nobody has been able to address this so far.”
Those supply disruption concerns have arisen after the Biden administration announced plans to use the Defense Production Act to boost supplies needed to make Pfizer’s vaccines. Last year, Pfizer scaled back its production targets after the US drugmaker ran into difficulties securing all the materials it needs to produce the vaccines at a large scale, a reminder that the world is depending on mass manufacturing at an unprecedented speed and scale to end the pandemic.
“This is one thing that would need some discussion with the Biden administration to explain to them there’s enough to go around,” Poonawalla said. “We’re talking about having free global access to vaccines but if we can’t get the raw materials out of the US — that’s going to be a serious limiting factor.”
Even under ideal conditions, getting injections into the arms of 7.8 billion people would test the delicate choreography of the world’s supply chains in ways unseen in peacetime. That’s because producing a vaccine relies on a complex global value chain of raw materials and components.
“There is a shortage of materials, of products that you need for the manufacturing of vaccines,” said Swaminathan. “This is where again you need global agreement and coordination not to do export bans.”
Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India —which is licensed to produce hundreds of millions of Covid-19 vaccines from and Novavax — told a World Bank panel on Thursday that a US law blocking the export of certain key items, including bags and filters, will likely cause serious bottlenecks.
Soumya Swaminathan from the WHO added that there were shortfalls of vials, glass, plastic and stoppers required by those companies.
“The Novavax vaccine, which we’re a major manufacturer for, needs these items from the US,” Poonawalla said. “If we’re talking about building capacity all over the world, the sharing of these critical raw materials is going to become a critical limiting factor — nobody has been able to address this so far.”
Those supply disruption concerns have arisen after the Biden administration announced plans to use the Defense Production Act to boost supplies needed to make Pfizer’s vaccines. Last year, Pfizer scaled back its production targets after the US drugmaker ran into difficulties securing all the materials it needs to produce the vaccines at a large scale, a reminder that the world is depending on mass manufacturing at an unprecedented speed and scale to end the pandemic.
“This is one thing that would need some discussion with the Biden administration to explain to them there’s enough to go around,” Poonawalla said. “We’re talking about having free global access to vaccines but if we can’t get the raw materials out of the US — that’s going to be a serious limiting factor.”
Even under ideal conditions, getting injections into the arms of 7.8 billion people would test the delicate choreography of the world’s supply chains in ways unseen in peacetime. That’s because producing a vaccine relies on a complex global value chain of raw materials and components.
“There is a shortage of materials, of products that you need for the manufacturing of vaccines,” said Swaminathan. “This is where again you need global agreement and coordination not to do export bans.”
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1 Comment on this Story
 | Aruun 1 hour ago Thinking local during testing Corona times is a bad idea, as the collective or collaborative approach is the need of an hour to root out Covid 19 altogether. In this context, the Indian contribution or efforts are praiseworthy as India in spite of its limited resources is trying all out to help poor and backward countries with the supply of vaccines on its own. On the contrary rich countries, EU or the US or rich countries seem to be looking inward or cornering resources for themselves this will not help as Corona can strike them back if not eradicated or squeezed or limited thought the world. Creating impediments or hurdles in the manufacture of low-cost vaccines or sticking to patents will not help mankind in the fight against Corona. |