Donate eight million unused Covid vaccines to the developing world, plead campaigners

Charities have called for millions of doses of Covid vaccine manufactured in Scotland to be donated to developing nations.

We told last week how Valneva, which was given millions of pounds by Scottish Enterprise to develop and produce a vaccine, has suspended production.

The plant in Livingston was set up with the support of £214 million in nonrefundable payments from the UK Government linked to an order for 100 million doses, which was cancelled late last year.

Valneva was awarded £12.5m to develop and make its vaccine in February after Nicola Sturgeon held talks with chief executive Thomas Lingelbach.

Demand for the French firm’s vaccine has since dropped and Lingelbach told The Sunday Post last week manufacture was suspended after an order from the European Commission was cut from 60 million to 1.25 million last month.

The company has drawn down £4.3m from Scottish Enterprise but payments have been suspended until manufacturing resumes.

Valneva currently has eight million unsold doses of vaccine with a shelf life of 15-24 months.

Covid vaccine firm backed by Scots ministers halts production after orders slashed

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Valneva has a moral obligation to ensure not a single Covid vaccine dose is wasted, especially given the millions of pounds of public money the company received. The Scottish Government must do everything to make sure this is the case.

“Just one in five people in low-income countries have received at least one vaccine dose and, shamefully, deaths have been four times higher in low and middle-income countries than high-income countries.

“Given this deep injustice, it would be completely unacceptable for any vaccine dose to go to waste and the redistribution of unpurchased Valneva vaccines, at no charge, would at least offer some support to countries that have been starved of vaccines to-date.”

Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns at social justice campaign organisation Global Justice Now said: “It’s a symptom of a global pharmaceutical system that is about as far from being efficient and equitable as it could be.

“In Malawi and Zambia – two countries identified as international development partner countries by the Scottish Government that receive aid funding from us – the levels of people who are fully vaccinated are 9.7% and 9.6%

“Valneva should donate the surplus vaccines to the World Health Organisation’s Covax scheme for low income countries.”

Valneva chief executive Thomas Lingelbach said: “First of all we are trying to deploy it into countries where there is a need and where we can get something for it. But we will certainly be looking into ways to not destroy the product.”

He added: “We do not see an imminent write-off risk or risk to destroy this product. We are confident we can deploy the inventory we have.”