Has a discussion on how the covid19 vaccine can be equitably distributed globally. This is 45 minutes. Hello welcome everyone to this important conversation that we will be having today on equitable distribution of vaccine. My name is peggy clarke im the executive director of the Innovators Group and Vice President of the Aspen Institute. Thank you so much for joining u us. Today the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership which is a partnership between the Aspen Institute and the Mastercard Center for inclusive growth, is presenting an important conversation on ensuring the equitable and effective local distribution of vaccines. On this conversation is part of a series, global inclusive recovery and rebuilding which was developed through the Mastercard Center were joining with the group in this effort to present this presentation today. Were very honored that Elizabeth Cohen of cnn is leading this conversation. And as a reminder you can submit questions when you registered. Theyre happy to get to those questions as part of this conversation. So thank you all and welcome elizabeth. Peggy thank you so much im so glad to be here with all of these wonderful panelists that we are going to have with us. Nearly ten months into this outbreak, covid19 is exposing deep inequities in Healthcare Systems worldwide. Their hopes are the vaccine will really change things. Because right now this virus is killed more than a Million People worldwide. It is has infected more than 44 Million People. Millions have been left without work. And economies have been left, many of them in terrible shape. So how do we ensure the Vaccine Development and Distribution Process is unhindered by domestic and International Geopolitics . I like to introduce my guest. Kathleen is one of Americas NationalHuman Services in executive leadership as ceo of the resources, she provides strategic advice to Company Investors and nonprofit organizations. Mike froman serves as a chairman for mastercard. In that role he is responsible for growing strategic partnerships, scaling new business opportunities, advancing the companys efforts to partner with governments and other institutions economic issues. We also have with this anita she is the director of the Vaccine Development surveillance and Diseases Program at the bill and Melinda Gates program. Her team works on the focus of Vaccine Development for people in some of the worst parts of the world. Finally we have with this maria, she is the managing director, resource mobilization, private Sector Partnership and innovative finance the Global Alliance for vaccine and immunizations. Her leadership has been instrumental in raising Critical Resources to provide equal access to vaccines to all. So thank you we are also honored and lucky to have you with us today. So thank you so much. Lets start off broadly. Whoever wants to jump in, please do. Are you concerned that the Vaccine Development process has been or will be hindered by politics . Whether domestically or internationally. And if so, but can we do to tamp that down . Let me start this. Maybe i can start this. From the United States. First of all it is great to see elizabeth, thank you for the Aspen Institute for organizing this conversation. Im delighted to have the opportunity to be here with all of you. Mike and i worked together on a lot of issues. But lace in the United States perspective i think there is no doubt we are in the middle of a political debate. And unfortunately, that has a huge impact on Vaccine Distribution here in the u. S. As well as in the world. The United States has withdrawn from some of our leadership efforts with equitable distribution worldwide. We are threatening with this administration to pull out of the w. H. O. Which is a critical platform for transparency and distribution. We have not participated in two of the large funding conferences that have occurred with our neighbors in europe in europe and investing in equitable distribution and manufacturing. I would say also, even with a post 2017 focus on a coalition, focused on epidemic preparedness, congress is not really invested. We took a total of 20 million into that entity. But currently is proceeding investment and nine vaccine candidates. The u. S. Entered u. S. Centric warp speed is only investing in the six of those nine. We have the possibility in the United States to be at the back of the line if one of the other three is actually the first first not only are we not providing leadership in the world, we are not participating in this world efforts. We are threatening to withdrawal resources in the future which could really hamper the world effort. But we are putting i would say our citizens in a deeply dangerous situation if we do not rejoin the world collaborative really soon. Its all about politics, not about science. Thank you kathleen peart anybody else would jump in on this . Spread not the question even further. Want to talk about the vaccine of course but we want to talk about therapeutics and diagnostics as well. Its one reason we join with gates to create this therapeutics accelerator, precisely make sure theres equitable distribution, testing of treatments even as we work on the vaccine. Very important to have that. Not just the right thing to do, if you dont have nationalism or protectionism introduce themselves into the supply chain and into the distribution or going to end up driving up the cost of the drugs at the end of the day. And youre going to diminish the effectiveness. Its in our interests that people all over the world are treated appropriately, tested appropriately and vaccinated appropriately. With got to stop at covid wherever it is. Otherwise well see waves of it coming back onto our shores over and over again. I think theyre actually some useful lessons. I hate to be myopic as a former trades person. But there are some lessons in the trade and investment world. Theyve written about applying some principles from the trade world to vaccine nationalism, reducing export constraints, to many countries not just the u. S. Threaten to put on restrictions on the exported pp p, on ventilators, some of the same things but the supply chain that goes into drugs. Import barriers that could be reduced, both tariff and nontariff barriers. Expanding the supply chains were not overly dependent on one country or one source for some of the input compounds et ceter cetera. It will be a good step toward ensuring theres a free flow of treatments over time. And ultimately that requires coordination globally. And frankly, u. S. Leadership and having it at the table and demonstrating leadership in this effort prints a very difficult question how to distribute these scarce resources going to be critically important. I can add from the accommodations point of view that it is very, very the covid approach but it makes sure the entire board is protected by using safe and effective vaccines. So anything that we can do to bring the world together including the u. S. , is just critical. For everyone to be protected everywhere. We are being through much effort applying to policymakers other people who understand how the pandemic has evolved and needs to be controlled. The global organizations did and many, many cases come together. This is how week got through access to the accelerator. It is a consortium of existing entities that work on vaccines. [inaudible] as you mention the coalition for epidemic preparedness and innovation which is responsible for epidemic products and vaccines. And the organizations have come together. In this coalition. And now almost the entire world is part of. Its off of u. S. And russia. Its the hope that the u. S. Joins, that would be that everyone can Work Together from a scientific point of view. To see how people come together with vaccines at a safeway. Into show that they are effective. Because of the pandemic. The collaboration is happening that much more is needed. Back so to your points, i think indeed there is concern. Theres never been such a pandemic of that size. And of course the work is daunting. But as the color before just said, we have seen actually a wakeup call and a movement for coming together. We gathered together. Which is to be regrouped and fork countries. In the idea is to even the magnitude of the work is to pull the resources. And the approach of investing at the same time in the vaccine that can be together. With the view that in 12 months or 18 months, by the end of 2021, certain member of doses can be procured. And provide a minimum buffer to actually quote unquote guarantee access for 20 of the world population. So that is again at least vaccinate the high risk people. The frontline workers. And from there one of the difficulties as being first in the supply constrained environments. The first time you need a vaccine for 7 billion people. It is very important the cooperation that mike was talking about. Its making sure that everybody has access at the same time. So even the globalization you know, everyone can be protected at the same time. Otherwise it will not work. A few of you mention kovacs. And an audience member had a question about that. Lets get to that audience members question. Kovacs is being led by gabby and steffi was the coalition for economic preparedness. And the aim is to accelerate the manufacture of covid19 vaccine and guarantee fair and equitable access to every country worldwide. This audience member knows come as many of you have, the u. S. Is not joined kovacs. In the audience member asked how can the u. S. Participate in Global Development around Covid Vaccine . And i would add, i think kathleen you touched on this. Is this a problem that the u. S. Is not join this . Then what should be done about this . Really got you up here now and you are with one of the leaders of kovacs can your dresses . I think there are a lot of ways the u. S. Can contribute. I think, there is a lot of conversation. Dont deliver the vaccine alone for theres a lot of work to be done. Where the u. S. Is come in and participate. And also in the country were the u. S. Has been very supportive. We have set up actually Research Specialists with the advance market commitment. And that will be targeted at making sure the low and middle income country at the same time. But also on the deliverance. At the same time being discussed in the u. S. There is very collaboration happening. That may not be inside the act about collaboration. On the positive sign is there really is a great dialogue in that space. In continuing the support, the key support. And continue that angle to support the initiative. Elizabeth, if i might. I think maria is very accurate and that congress now is very committed. Congress understands this global relationship. They are committed to making sure it is funded. In those funds continue. So regardless of what the administration has in ten did, i think congress is sort of a protector. It is a newer entity that was focused on research and development but i think the threat the u. S. Would not only participate but withdraw funding from the w. H. O. Is really dangerous in terms of the world capacity or capacity and resources are needed. Our leadership is needed to mobilize to look outside of the boris and say we not only need to vaccinate our own population, that we need a global view. Because disease knows no borders. If someone is ill and africa or asia, that is still a threat potentially to the United States. And its also the moral thing to do. I think, we are on the eve of an election. There are two very different views of global participation and health that are held by the two president ial candidates. I dont think there is any question that we would rejoin serious global packs and put resources in different places. If there is a change in administration. But this is a relatively new and current view that i think potentially worrisome. Not just for the safety and security of the American Public, but for the safety and security of the entire world. Without the u. S. Resources and moral call to gathered together, the eu has gone to spring meetings the United States did not participate. The un conference, the United States did not participate. Wildes protected by congress, that is still very dangerous when you see a Global Pandemic raging. Thank you kathleen. Do you to try an while chime in on the issue . I would just note that everything they said is absently writes even in the absence of the u. S. Federal government involvement, that a lot of participation in the private sector. Obviously theres a Pharmaceutical Company and others, biotech company. Others like our own support these efforts. Lots of activity by philanthropy. Chief among them. The Gates Foundation and number of others. And elsewhere to try and at least keep the progress going. The danger is, just think how outraged the u. S. Would be if the vaccine that emerges is being most effective was produced somewhere else. And we did not have access to it because we did not participate. And because we did not support the global effort. Youd be outraged. So a lot of the research is being done in the u. S. There certainly Research Going on elsewhere. We want to make sure the u. S. Is part of those efforts and supportive of those efforts. As far as leading a difficult conversation worded the first 100 million or 2 billion doses go . Is it to healthcare workers and frontline workers . Is it to the elderly invulnerable . Is it the children setting back to school . Is it in producer countries, non producer countries . Rich or poor countries . Its going to be half dead be a number of hard choices made as were building up to the doses, however many doses are required. It will need to be more u. S. Involvement in that leadership effort. Or will be quite chaotic. by immunizing children everywhere and there are many, many other Infectious Diseases such as measles and it plays a huge role in getting vaccines for every child around the world and so i have my fingers crossed that we will see that u. S. Play a huge role even if we miss the opportunity on the Development Side although we havent totally missed opportunity because the u. S. Research may find a vaccine that works and it could be from the Research Done outside of the u. S. , there is much more clarity on how the research is done outside of the u. S. And against to people everywhere, and there is not so much clarity on the u. S. But one can hope that the private sector takes on that role on the r d side so a company that has developments around the world and the provider to people around the world and also one other point is there is a very interesting analysis that was done by northeastern, and the next year we have 2 billion doses of vaccines, if all of those vaccines are used by Income Countries that is where there is quite the number of deaths and if they distribute those equity around the world. The side of this and mike was referring to this how we make the decisions on how you get vaccinated first then supplies will be limited and would be the situation in 2021 in the world to come together and figure out how we do that in an equitable way which makes the most sense in getting the word back on its feet again. I want to touch on something that anita said, when the vaccine effort began in january, there was an assumption that people would want to get it in the fact the concern was how do we get it to everyone who wants it, and the months that have passed in the u. S. As well as another country. Shown that many people dont want to get this vaccine because they fear that it wont be safe, in the u. S. There is pull showing that a third or half of americans say that they dont want to get it and i know there is also a significant chunk of people in other countries who dont want to get it, can you comment on that vaccine is only good if people roll up their sleeves and take it. Anything we can do to increase the trust in this vaccine. I go first and im sure my panelist will add a lot more color, this is a big one where there is a pandemic of misinformation on vaccines not just on coping vaccine but all vaccines, all of us will have to work really hard which involves working with communities, understanding communities in addressing those concerns, i really like the Vaccine Confidence in communities of this vaccine is safe and will work and protect people. And that is all that needed to be done to show that these vaccines will be safe and effective in the corners have not been cut which is why but there is going to be no shortcut with working with communities. Anyone else. I think one of the ways is to prepare very well now and were seeing this with the vaccine but a good process of delivering the vaccine and thats where all of us in particular the private sector even expertise especially in tracing and that measurement but also of course the communication, that will bring the right information that we have been coming up, we talked really and thats part of reaching out by bringing International