The world cannot rely on just a few manufacturers in wealthy nations to supply vaccines during a pandemic. We need distributed manufacturing to ensure fairness and resilience.

Analyse

Data from **WHO** and **UNICEF** confirm that during the COVID-19 pandemic, **75% of vaccines** were concentrated in just 10 countries as of mid-2021, while low-income nations received **<1% of doses**. Bottazzi’s argument aligns with **WHO’s 2021 mRNA Technology Transfer Hub** initiative, which explicitly aims to expand regional production to address supply chain vulnerabilities and inequities. Peer-reviewed studies (e.g., *Nature*, 2022) and reports from **GAVI** and **The Lancet* further validate that centralized manufacturing in wealthy nations exacerbated delays and shortages, supporting her call for distributed production.

Achtergrond

Maria Elena Bottazzi, co-developer of the **Corbevax** COVID-19 vaccine (a patent-free, protein-subunit vaccine), testified amid criticism of **vaccine nationalism**—where high-income countries hoarded doses and blocked IP waivers. Her statement echoes longstanding critiques of **global health infrastructure**, including the **2009 H1N1 pandemic**, where similar disparities occurred. The **WTO’s 2022 IP waiver debate** and **African Union’s vaccine manufacturing partnerships** (e.g., **African CDC’s 2040 plan**) reflect ongoing efforts to address these systemic gaps.

Samenvatting verdict

Bottazzi’s claim accurately reflects global vaccine production inequities and expert consensus on the need for decentralized manufacturing during pandemics.

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