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Smart Development

Cómo desarrollar una vacuna contra la COVID‑19 para todos

Apr 27, 2020 Mariana Mazzucato and Els Torreele

LONDRES – En las primeras semanas de 2020, la gente comenzó a darse cuenta de que la COVID‑19 podía ser la muy temida pero previsible «Enfermedad X»: una pandemia global causada por un virus desconocido. Tres meses después, la mayor parte de la población mundial está confinada, y resulta claro que, en los niveles local, nacional e internacional, nuestra salud depende de la de nuestros vecinos.

Para la protección de las sociedades contra la COVID‑19 será clave contar con sistemas sanitarios fuertes, una adecuada capacidad de testeo y una vacuna eficaz y de acceso universal. Pero para que nadie quede excluido, además de una inversión colectiva de un nivel inédito, también se necesita un importante cambio de metodología.

Investigadores de universidades y empresas de todo el mundo trabajan a toda prisa para desarrollar una vacuna. Y los avances actuales son alentadores: ya hay 73 vacunas candidatas en investigación o en desarrollo preclínico, y cinco que ya pasaron a la fase de ensayo clínico.

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Mariana Mazzucato

Writing for PS since 2015
57 Commentaries

Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London, is Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, Chair of the World Health Organization’s Council on the Economics of Health For All, and a co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. She is the author of The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy (Penguin Books, 2019), Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism (Penguin Books, 2022), and, most recently, The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies (Penguin Press, 2023). A tenth anniversary edition of her book The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths (Anthem Press, 2013) will be published by Penguin in September.

Els Torreele

Writing for PS since 2020
2 Commentaries

Els Torreele is a visiting policy fellow at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 7 Comments on this article

Effie Zafiropoulou Nov 17, 2020

Well we are not seeing a global alliance are we?It was called for in April and we are still at the 'MUST'stage.
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Joe Zammit-Lucia May 3, 2020

When you say 'for free' what does that mean? I'm assuming it means free at the point of consumption since doing all that you suggest will cost a lot of money. Who should carry those costs - and the opportunity costs of the displaced R&D and manufacturing of other stuff? Should that be taxpayer funded - in which case it is not 'free'.
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Ralph Musgrave Apr 30, 2020

The above article is nothing more than statements of the obvious dressed up in pseudo technical language. The first para says we are lockdown. You don't say!

The second para says “Strong health systems, adequate testing capacity, and an effective, universally available vaccine will be key to protecting societies from COVID-19.” Zzzzzzz.

And I do like the bit where it says that to develop a vaccine we need “clearly defined common goal: developing an effective COVID-19 vaccine(s).” I have news: to make a cup of instant coffee, you need a “clearly defined goal”, the goal being to make a cup of instant coffee.
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Michael Public Apr 28, 2020

My word. Even the hippies never had so much faith in the goodwill of others. Any vaccines will be private IP - sold for literally billions, available to friendly nations and not to China or Iran. This is simply how we roll.
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Norman Kennedy Apr 28, 2020

This piece is wishful thinking. It is highly unlikely that there will be an effective vaccine within the next 12-18 months. Why, because this virus is very challenging to say the least. As for compulsory licencing, this notion would never work as the technology will be too complex. There will likely be several vaccines that will emerge but the only effective one will use a multi-pronged approach that does not rely on stimulating the immune system like the ineffective annual flu vaccine. As for 5 candidates currently in clinical trials they are mostly early stage 2. Phase 3 clinical trials alone will take 2 years not to mention the time required for regulatory approval. Success is always in the details and this takes time.
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