Affordable and sustainable vaccines
As mentioned in another section, after the initial success of primary vaccines typically produced at low or medium-low costs, some produced in emerging economies, the sector has developed other vaccines for advanced economies which have been or are being adapted for developing countries. The problem with some of these vaccines is that of cost, since they have been conceived for the needs and logistical infrastructure of developed countries which can handle costly products, in specific individual packages that need to be maintained carefully at a certain temperature. However, these vaccines have stimulated a beneficial response termed Advanced Market Commitment – A.M.C. – which allows the vaccines industry to deal with the elevated costs of adapting vaccines thanks to a guaranteed future purchase by humanitarian organizations.
The Fondazione Achille Sclavo believes that another course of action, Product Development Partnership, is also possible by:
- developing vaccines for emerging countries, organizing activities in this sense from the beginning,
- obtaining vaccines which are economical and therefore accessible to developing countries at sustainable costs or with the assistance of international organizations,
- producing economically sustainable vaccines with a process tailored to developing countries that guarantees wide distribution thanks to lower costs but which also provides some margin to the producer as an incentive to continued production and supply.