When a population of children is immunized and reaches a state of health, that establishes a generation that will thrive and remain healthy. Vaccinating children in low-income countries contributes to national health, but also sets the rising generation up for success. Technicalities with distribution often hinder the administration of vaccines to low-income countries. Author and scientist Calman MacLennan lists the necessary requirements for vaccines to be approved and distributed in low-income countries:
"The vaccine itself needs to be safe and immunogenic. It needs to induce an immune response in the target population that provides protective coverage against the prevalent strains of the pathogen targeted by the vaccine and new strains that might emerge following the introduction of the vaccine. Ideally the vaccine will induce life-long immunity following one dose without the need for subsequent boosting. It should also be thermostable and amenable to needle-free delivery."
While sounding obvious, this list requires extensive clinical trials to achieve. This requires significant time and finances. This list also does not account for the logistics of distribution, which adds a significant amount of resources needed, including individuals to distribute vaccines manually.
MacLennan coins this struggle in saying, “Affordability is key for the introduction of new vaccines into low-income countries. Development of new vaccines is a time-consuming and costly process involving many steps.” This simply reiterates the need for funds for vaccines in low-income countries. Without sufficient funds, nonprofit organizations will not be able to aid countries in need and, therefore, health crises will continue and numerous lives will be lost.
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