無國界醫生／希臘肺炎疫苗昂貴　阻礙難民兒童接種機會

圖、文／無國界醫生

國際醫療人道救援組織無國界醫生（Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières，簡稱MSF）譴責，疫苗價格過高，讓政府和非政府組織為脆弱兒童接種疫苗，必須付出昂貴的成本。

在過去幾星期裡，無國界醫生在希臘多個營地和安置點為超過 5000 名年齡在 6 個月到 15 歲之間的難民兒童接種疫苗，以預防包括肺炎在內的十種疾病。肺炎目前仍是全球導致五歲以下兒童死亡的最大殺手，對那些身處困境的兒童來說更是如此。

無國界醫生呼籲輝瑞大藥廠和葛蘭素史克藥廠能在緊急的情況下，降低供應給政府和人道組織的肺炎鏈球菌結合疫苗*（PCV）價格。

無國界醫生目前在當地藥房購買一劑肺炎疫苗需支付 60 歐元（約合 68.10 美元），這是全球疫苗最低價格 2.8 歐元（3.10 美元）的 20 多倍。

儘管疫苗接種的對象是最脆弱的兒童，像無國界醫生這樣的人道組織仍然不能以最低的價格購買疫苗。要以這個全球最低價格獲取肺炎疫苗，最貧窮的國家只有通過全球疫苗免疫聯盟（Gavi）才能獲得。需要三劑量的肺炎疫苗才能為兒童提供充分的保護。

無國界醫生在疫苗接種項目中使用、可幫助兒童抵抗6種疾病的另一種疫苗，也十分昂貴，每劑高達約 65 歐元。

無國界醫生在希臘的醫療行動支援組總監韋濟斯醫生（Dr. Apostolos Veizis）說：「政府和人道組織需要工具來保護兒童，讓他們能在當前最大危機之一生存下來。輝瑞和葛蘭素史克必須降低肺炎疫苗的價格。」

韋濟斯續說︰「隨著敘利亞、伊拉克和阿富汗的醫療體系崩潰，大部分在營地或餐風宿露的兒童，無論在自己的國家還是在逃亡途中，都未曾獲得疫苗接種。這些兒童正生活在可怕的環境中，不應該為逃難而付出自己的生命與健康。我們必須不惜一切代價保護他們遠離肺炎和其他致命疾病。」

於過去的 6 年多裡，無國界醫生已盡力與目前唯二製造肺炎疫苗的廠商──輝瑞和葛蘭素史克進行降價談判，以便能幫助身處危難的兒童抵抗肺炎。到目前為止，兩家製藥公司都拒絕降價，至今仍然無法為那些活在危難中的人們找到解決方案。

5月，無國界醫生向輝瑞和葛蘭素史克遞交了一份由來自 170 個國家、超過 41.6 萬人簽名的請願書，要求它們向所有身處危難的人和發展中國家，降低肺炎疫苗價格至每名兒童 5 美元（包括所需的三劑量）。

無國界醫生於5月在希臘與前南斯拉夫馬其頓共和國交界處的伊多梅尼（Idomeni），為 3000 名兒童進行了接種，隨後又在希臘中部的阿提卡（Attica）地區、薩摩斯島（Samos）和雅典開展了同樣接種工作。在接下來的幾周裡，無國界醫生將在伊庇魯斯（Epirus）和萊斯沃斯島與衛生部合作，為兒童接種疫苗。

*其中一種導致嚴重肺炎的病菌

Press Release: 14th, July 2016

Greece: Expensive pneumonia vaccine key barrier to vaccinating refugee children

The international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) denounced the exorbitant price governments and non-governmental organisations are required to pay to vaccinate vulnerable children.

In the past few weeks, MSF has vaccinated more than 5,000 refugee children between ages six months and 15 years of age in several camps and settlements across Greece. MSF vaccinated refugee children against ten diseases, including pneumonia. Pneumonia remains the single largest killer of children under five worldwide, and is particularly acute for children living in crises.

MSF called on Pfizer and GSK to drop the price of the pneumonia vaccine* (PCV) for governments and humanitarian organisations in emergency contexts.

MSF paid 60 Euros (US$68.10) per dose for the pneumonia vaccine, which it bought through local pharmacies. This is 20 times more than the lowest global price of the vaccine, which is roughly 2.80 Euros (US$3.10) per dose. 

Despite vaccinating highly vulnerable children, humanitarian organisations such as MSF are unable to purchase vaccines at the lowest available price. This lowest global price for the pneumonia vaccine is only available to the world’s poorest countries through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Three doses of the pneumonia vaccine are needed to provide full protection for a child.

Another vaccine used by MSF during these campaigns protects children against six diseases and is also expensive, priced around 65 euros per dose.

 “Governments and humanitarian organisations need tools to protect children living through one of the biggest crises of our times,” said Dr. Apostolos Veizis, Director of MSF’s Medical Operational Support Unit in Greece. “Pfizer and GSK must drop the price of the pneumonia vaccine.”

 “With the collapse of the healthcare systems in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, most children living in the camps and outside have not been immunised in their country or during the journey. These kids are living in horrendous conditions and should not pay the price of fleeing for their lives with their health. We have to protect them at all cost against pneumonia and other deadly diseases,” said Veizis.

For more than six years, MSF has tried to negotiate a lower price for the pneumonia vaccine with its only two producers, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), in order to be able to protect crisis-affected children from pneumonia. So far, both pharmaceutical corporations have refused to reduce the price and there remains no solution in sight for populations living in crisis.

In May, MSF delivered the names of more than 416,000 people from 170 countries who signed a petition asking Pfizer and GSK to reduce the price of the pneumonia vaccine to $5 dollars per child (for all three doses) for crisis-affected populations and for all developing countries.

MSF vaccinated 3,000 children in Idomeni on the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in May, then in the camps of the Attica region in Central Greece, on the island of Samos, in Athens and in the coming weeks the MSF will be vaccinating children in the camps of Epirus, and on the Island of Lesbos in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

* One of the germs causing severe pneumonia