UNICEF Tender Allows Gavi To Supply Vaccines For Millions Of Children

Gavi, the vaccine alliance, announced yesterday that a UNICEF pentavalent vaccine tender will secure sufficient supplies for the next three years to protect millions of children in Gavi-supported and transitioning countries.

According to a Gavi press release, pentavalent vaccine will be accessible from a broad base of manufacturers at less than US$1: half this year’s average price.

Pentavalent vaccine protects against five major infections in one shot: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), according to Gavi.

“We estimate that pentavalent vaccination will avert 5.7 million deaths in Gavi-supported countries between 2011 and 2020,” Gavi CEO Seth Berkley said in the release.

The release states that since Gavi’s inception in 2000, close to 300 million children have been reached with the vaccine and all 73 countries supported by Gavi had introduced pentavalent vaccine by the end of 2014.

Over the next three years, Gavi and countries procuring pentavalent vaccines through the UNICEF tender are expected to save close to US$ 366 million, the release said.