Vaccine inequity continues to be one of the greatest challenges in the pandemic — with only 10% of those in low- and middle-income countries fully vaccinated. One of the biggest hold-ups is a lack of vaccine manufacturing capacity in poorer nations. But now, researchers at the WHO technology-transfer hub have completed the first step in a project aimed at building vaccine manufacturing capacity in the global south, by successfully replicating Moderna’s COVID vaccine without assistance from the US-based biotech company. In this episode of Coronapod, we ask how they did it? What happens next? What the legal ramifications might be and what this could mean for the future of vaccine manufacture in low- and middle-income countries? Both during the pandemic and beyond.
News: South African scientists copy Moderna's COVID vaccine
News: The fight to manufacture COVID vaccines in lower-income countries
Editorial: Africa is bringing vaccine manufacturing home
Never miss an episode: Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. Head here for the Nature Podcast RSS feed.
Chelsea Clinton urges global sharing of COVID vaccine technology
Researchers fear growing COVID vaccine hesitancy in developing nations
What the Moderna–NIH COVID vaccine patent fight means for research
First proven malaria vaccine rolled out in Africa — but doubts linger
