Rapid scale-up of Covid-19 vaccination delivers greater health benefits: Africa CDC study (Sabong News)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Earlier start dates and rapid scale-up of Covid-19 vaccination delivered greater health benefits in terms of hospitalizations and deaths averted, and were more cost-effective in Africa, a newly published study by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has disclosed. The newly released study incorporated the results of a 27-country analysis on the health and economic impact of Covid-19 vaccination. The analysis finds that the scale-up speed, a focus on at-risk populations and the choice of Covid-19 vaccine brands are critical to structuring successful programs in the African context. The benefits of Covid-19 vaccines vary widely depending on the pace of roll-out, the population targeted, and the type of vaccines used in the campaigns, the research found. The analysis also drew on research from Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa. The analysis demonstrated that vaccine programs deliver the best value for money when focused on the most vulnerable, including the elderly, pregnant women, health workers and those with co-morbidities. This is especially true in countries with a low overall risk of severe outcomes from Covid-19, such as nations with younger populations or those that have already had significant exposure to the virus, according to the study. In Kenya, researchers found that scaling up to 30 percent of the population, but focusing on the elderly, was far more effective than reaching 70 percent coverage of the general population. Nigerian researchers found the same result when modeling targeted scale-up to 25 percent of the population. “The evidence is clear – countries should aim to vaccinate those most at risk, as quickly as possible, with the most cost-effective vaccines available to them,” an Africa CDC statement quoted Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Deputy Director of the Africa CDC, as saying. “This is how we can save the most lives and deliver the highest value for money,” the Africa CDC deputy chief added. The research found that it is not only the overall vaccine coverage reached that determines the benefits of a vaccine program. Rather, starting early and moving quickly are critical levers to increase the impact of any Covid-19 vaccine program. In South Africa, a 40 percent vaccine coverage achieved through a fast roll-out was found to provide greater health benefits over a year than 67 percent coverage attained slowly. For countries where large numbers of the population remain unvaccinated, moving with urgency and scaling-up quickly is said to be critical. It also found Covid-19 vaccine efforts become less cost-effective – or not cost-effective at all – as countries take longer to scale their programs. The study, however, warned over the negative impact of huge disparities across the African continent in terms of Covid-19 vaccination coverage. “Several African countries have nearly vaccinated 70 percent of their populations with two doses; while others have not yet reached 1 percent of their populations with the first dose,” the study said. The study further explored how the choice of vaccines impacts the cost-effectiveness of vaccine programs across the continent. Choosing the least expensive vaccine options, especially in the case of budgetary limitations, is a pragmatic way to improve the cost-effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine programs, the study said.