Moderna is known to have intentionally delayed vaccination in Africa

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has criticized American pharmaceutical company Moderna for its vaccination policy. Despite billions in sales, the company declined to share its technology with the World Health Organization, the company said on Thursday. As a result, it intentionally delays vaccination progress in developing countries in Africa.

“By ignoring global health initiatives and going its own way, Moderna has clearly shown that it is interested in absurd sales rather than contributing to global vaccination efforts,” said Candice Sehoma, MSF’s representative in South Africa. According to activists, the WHO’s mRNA Technology Transfer Center in South Africa, which was announced in April, has not yet managed to get an already established mRNA vaccine from a pharmaceutical company.

Instead, it is now trying to make its own vaccine. The move is “totally unnecessary” and a “waste of time” given existing technologies, criticizes MSF. “By allowing the WHO mRNA center to reproduce what already exists, Moderna is breaking down the opportunity to establish independent vaccine production in Africa.”, says Sahoma.

The criticism followed US$5 billion in sales for the third quarter of 2021 alone, according to health workers, which the company presented today. MSF called for closer cooperation with WHO. In addition, the organization asks US President Joe Biden to pass on the mRNA technology through legal means if necessary. (kna)