Covid-19 vaccination budget must account for all possibilities

Photo: Reuters

A lot of resources are expected to be set aside in Budget 2021 to procure Covid-19 vaccines and fund related operations. In addition to the number of people targeted to be vaccinated, the number of doses per person and price per dose, another crucial element is the effectiveness of these new vaccines.

In June, the US Food and Drug Administration lowered the efficacy bar to 50% for Covid-19 vaccine candidates. Other regulatory agencies around the world have also followed suit. The former director of immunisation at the US Department of Health, David Salisbury, covered this topic well in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper, pointing out that an efficacy of 50% means only half of those receiving vaccines may be protected.