How can we help increase the accessibility of vaccines to people living in developing or underdeveloped nations? What have various governmental or nongovernmental organizations done to help in the past? What are some reasons for the low percentage of vaccinated peoples in these kinds of countries?
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Though the world has made vast improvements in the past few decades concerning global immunization, vaccines are becoming increasingly difficult to acquire and utilize in developing and underdeveloped countries. The most significant (and most disappointing) obstacle to global vaccination in the 21st century has boiled down to 1 critical factor - the price of new treatments. According to Doctors Without Borders, the average cost for a vaccine package for a child from the Expanded Program on Immunization (a WHO program with the purpose of vaccinating children) has skyrocketed from $1.37 in 2001 to $38.80 in 2011. Apparently, the two newest vaccines, against Streptococcus pneumoniae and diarrhea, have accounted for the majority of this price inflation. Whatever the reason behind this trend, it's making it much more difficult for developing countries to protect children against disease (especially pneumococcal disease, which kills about 1 million children a year). I find this incredibly disturbing.
https://msfaccess.org/right-shot-extending-reach-affordable-and-adapted-vaccines-1st-edition-2012
https://www.health24.com/Medical/Childhood-diseases/Vaccinations/Vaccines-in-poorest-countries-far-too-expensive-20150122
I strongly agree that the most significant factor of obstacle to global vaccination in the 21st century is the price of new treatment. As new vaccines present a more attractive incentive to the industry than the old vaccines presented to the undeveloped nations, it is recognised by high-income countries thus, developments of new vaccines. Although it is seen that new vaccines are highly influential in undeveloped countries as well it is hard them to provide necessary financing for their implementation and the clear recognition of their public health benefits. These problems has been addressed by the GAVI Alliance together with accelerated development and introduction plans for pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines in 2003, and Hib Vaccine in 2005 which filled information gaps on these vaccines. I believe, providing undeveloped countries with high sequenced plans and putting it in to action may lead in increase of accessibility in undeveloped nations like the GAVI Alliance again.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104453231300033X