Fairer vaccine sharing could save millions in next pandemic, study finds

More than 2.7 million additional lives could be saved during a future pandemic if vaccines were distributed according to population needs rather than countries' ability to pay, according to new research.

Researchers modelled a hypothetical global influenza pandemic and found that speeding up vaccine development could reduce the number of deaths from an estimated 58.5 million to 23.9 million.

However, the benefits would not be evenly spread.

In high-income countries, deaths would increase from about 2.4 million to 3.9 million under an allocation system based on population rather than purchasing power.

The findings are part of a report by the NUS-Lancet Commission on Pandemic Preparedness, which argues that preparing for future outbreaks requires more than expanding medical and technical capacity.

The commission says governments should build systems that can reach vulnerable communities, maintain public trust and ensure that vaccines, treatments and other resources are available where they are most needed.