Millions more children to be protected from five diseases thanks to new vaccine supply agreement
5-in-1 pentavalent vaccine will come from a broad base of manufacturers at half the 2016 average price for the next three years
GENEVA, 19 October 2016 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, welcomes the results of the UNICEF pentavalent vaccine tender that will secure sufficient supplies for the next three years to protect millions of children in Gavi-supported and transitioning countries. Moreover, pentavalent vaccine – a cornerstone of routine immunisation programmes – will be accessible from a broad base of manufacturers at less than US$1: half this year’s average price.
“We estimate that pentavalent vaccination will avert 5.7 million deaths in Gavi-supported countries between 2011 and 2020,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “The market for five-in-one vaccines is now a lot healthier than it was just a few years ago thanks to our collective efforts to grow a base of vaccine suppliers. We remain committed to making vaccine markets work better for the world’s poorest countries to ensure immunisation investments and efforts are sustainable for all.”
Since Gavi’s inception close to 300 million children have been reached with the vaccine and all 73 countries supported by the Alliance had introduced pentavalent vaccine by the end of 2014.
“Preventing illness through immunisation can have a huge impact on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, communities and countries,” added Dr Berkley. “The vaccine industry is a vital partner in ensuring that sufficient quantities of quality vaccines are available at affordable prices so that countries and donors implement sustainable immunisation programmes, increase coverage and promote equitable access to vaccines.”
The Alliance’s objective with this tender is to maintain and sustain a healthy vaccine market by securing sufficient supply to meet demand, by providing sufficient buffer supply capacity, and by managing individual supplier and national regulatory authority risks. While obtaining lower weighted average prices is good news for the Alliance as it generates more value for money, Gavi also aims to stimulate long-term competition and access to appropriate innovation.
Over the next three years the Alliance and countries procuring pentavalent vaccines through the UNICEF tender are expected to save close to US$ 366 million.
Pentavalent vaccine protects against five major infections in one shot: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Hib, Haemophilus influenza type b (the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia and otitis).
Note to editors
· Pentavalent vaccine will be supplied in various presentations by six manufacturers. The weighted average price for the period 2017-2019 will drop to US$ 0.79 by 2019, compared to the 2016 weighted average price of US$1.65; with vaccines available at a cost as low as US$ 0.60. More information http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_57476.html · See also Gavi statement on the completion of the first phase of this tender http://www.gavi.org/library/news/statements/2016/gavi-welcomes-price-trend-for-pentavalent-vaccine/
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of nearly 580 million children and the prevention of approximately 8 million future deaths. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is funded by governments (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States), the European Commission, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as private and corporate partners (Absolute Return for Kids, Anglo American plc., The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Comic Relief, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, “la Caixa” Foundation, LDS Charities, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim, Phillips, UPS and Vodafone.