Technical brief |

Why GAVI Needs to Do More To Ensure Lower Vaccine Prices & How It Could Be Done

Vaccines are widely considered a highly cost-effective public health intervention. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is actively involved in immunisation in many countries where we work, vaccinating millions of children every year.  We strongly encourage increased support to immunisation activities.

However the recent introduction of new vaccines has raised considerably the price tag for immunisation. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the largest purchaser of vaccines for developing countries has failed to bring down vaccine prices to affordable levels.  Part of the reason is conflict of interest within GAVI governance structures: major suppliers of vaccines to GAVI are also directly involved in setting policies for the organisation.    As GAVI turns to donors to fill a US$3.7 billion funding gap ahead of a June replenishment meeting, this briefing paper focuses on the problem of high vaccine prices, and outlines what donors should ask for in exchange for signing a cheque.