Back to
A baby is immunised with pentavalent vaccine. Gavi helped South Sudan to introduce pentavalent vaccine in 2014, protecting thousands of children against deadly diseases. (Credit: Gavi/Mike Pflanz)
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$1: half this year’s average price.
“We estimate that pentavalent vaccination will avert 5.7 million deaths in Gavi-supported countries between 2011 and 2020,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “The market for five-in-one vaccines is now a lot healthier than it was just a few years ago thanks to our collective efforts to grow a base of vaccine suppliers. We remain committed to making vaccine markets work better for the world’s poorest countries to ensure immunisation investments and efforts are sustainable for all.”
Since Gavi’s inception close to 300 million children have been reached with the vaccine and all 73 countries supported by the Alliance had introduced pentavalent vaccine by the end of 2014.
“Preventing illness through immunisation can have a huge impact on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, communities and countries,” added Dr Berkley. “The vaccine industry is a vital partner in ensuring that sufficient quantities of quality vaccines are available at affordable prices so that countries and donors implement sustainable immunisation programmes, increase coverage and promote equitable access to vaccines.”
We estimate that pentavalent vaccination will avert 5.7 million deaths in Gavi-supported countries between 2011 and 2020.
Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
The Alliance’s objective with this tender is to maintain and sustain a healthy vaccine market by securing sufficient supply to meet demand, by providing sufficient buffer supply capacity, and by managing individual supplier and national regulatory authority risks. While obtaining lower weighted average prices is good news for the Alliance as it generates more value for money, Gavi also aims to stimulate long-term competition and access to appropriate innovation.
Over the next three years the Alliance and countries procuring pentavalent vaccines through the UNICEF tender are expected to save close to US$ 366 million.
Pentavalent vaccine protects against five major infections in one shot: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Hib, Haemophilus influenzae 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.
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, Philips, UPS and Vodafone.
Click to view the full donor list.
