The second appointment of the symposium organized by Columbia, Vaccines and Global Health: COVID-19 Vaccine Development, Strategy and Implementation focused the attention tonight on Global Solutions to an Unprecedented Demand.
Yes: a pandemic flu is not just a problem of a country, but of the entire world and a common, inclusive strategy should be the best answer for sorting out part of the problem.
Tonight the moderator was Philip LaRussa, MD – Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, CUIMC.
The first relator was Tedros Ghebreyesus, MS, PhD – Director-General, World Health Organization.
But, before, what Columbia University tries to do is to find global solutions at this immense problem establishing dialogues, connections that can apport ideas. A global solution is imperative for seeing the light after this long dark tunnel.
Ghebreyesus said that he was happy to be back at Columbia University. In 2017 there was a meeting about health security and was described at that time Spanish Flu. Strangely, Ghebreyesus notices pandemic influenzas were forgotten.
It is true: the Spanish Flu was removed by everyone. Yes, writers, painters, creatives, treated the topic sometimes, and not everyone (Hemingway fell sick with Spanish Flu but he didn't write a line on it) but... it was as the population would have wanted to remove that horror, a disgrace contemporary with the first world war.
It wasn't sure where a pandemic flu could start, adds Ghebreyesus but existed this possibility. A terrible moment for the humanity. "We were not prepared for a pandemic flu" admits Ghebreyesus.
Not only: not all countries are responding in the same way or have the same level of infections.
Problems with vaccines is that sometimes they arrive too late. In 2016 remembers Ghebreyesus they took particular consideration about Sars, Mers, Corona Virus as possible future immense problems for the humanity.
A vaccine has been developed in grear rush, true, but now it's important that all the countries would receive it. It's normal that every country thinks per se at first, but the longer the pandemic flu will persist, more longer will affect economy (and let's add, the existence of people, in particular the most vulnerable ones) and the reconstruction of the society.
What it is important with vaccines is an accelleration. All countries must share with other countries.
Nicole Lurie, MD – Strategic Advisor, CEPI treated the topic of vaccine Nationalism.
Samba Sow, MD, MSc – University of Maryland – Director-General, Center for
Vaccine Development-Mali, introduced the situation lived in West Africa by citizens. It is a too tranquil situation where it is said to population that Covid-19 is not there massively, but it circulates and it is not the only epidemy developed in that corner of the world: another powerful and absolutely horrible other one is Ebola.
"COVID-19 left us more exposed" adds Sow. Anyway Sow adds that "we have learnt the lesson." What Sow is noticing is this politicizing of COVID-19 pandemic like also good channels of communications shouldn't never be understimated.
People are diffident and sometimes when you reach communities with some vaccines they think that you want to infect them. In this sense there is some work that need to be done. "We must reach communities, vaccinating them and proceeding with the second fundamental dose" adds Sow.
An investiment in vaccines is an investiment in future.
Seth Berkley, MD – CEO, GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, went immediately to the point. At first he told that he was happy to be back at Columbia where he spoke three years ago of some similar topics.
At first when the pandemic flu started, questions were many: a vaccine would be possible? Technologies, the ones developed till now would have been helpful?
In 325 days was created a vaccine; but problems are not yet sorted out, because it will be indispensible to allocate these vaccines everywhere in the world. "Let's see if we can bring the world together." 190 countries are collaborating, which means 190 economies for Covax.
But there are many reasons why a country can't have immediately the vaccine: wars, disorders, conflicts of various genre.
Every country, anyway must be ready: delivery, logistics.
"We have seen panic for vaccine: everyone wants to be vaccinated.The risk? That vaccines reaches just rich countries experiencing generational consequences."
Jeffrey Sachs, PhD – Columbia University illustrated the financial part of COVID-19 in this international plan that should cover the entire world.
Sachs admits that there was a great rapidity in the creation of the vaccine. Sure, he added: "We have had the most horrible, psychopatic leader in the world, but in this sense Europe and USA have significantly failed in the fight against COVID-19 and we should reflect on this." Sachs point the fingers against a policy unable to stop the spread of COVID-19 with efficacy, in America and Europe; different is the story of Asian countries.
It will be important in particular during the G-20 planning thanks to the International monetary Fund, special funds, for covering the entire world with vaccine-doses.
Anna Maria Polidori
Anna Maria Polidori
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