A vaccine is a biological preparation which contains a weakened or killed microbial agent, its
toxins or its surface proteins, which provides active acquired immunity against the disease
caused by the microbe.
The aim of vaccination is to stimulate and train the body immunity to recognize and destroy
the microbial threat in later encounters. Vaccination is the most effective method of
preventing infectious diseases and is largely responsible for eradicating many deadly
diseases such as smallpox and the restriction of diseases such as measles, and tetanus.
Middle East and Africa are laggards when it comes to immunization coverage. According to
World Health Organization (WHO), out of the total number of children worldwide who did
not receive the required three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines, more than
40% were from sub-Saharan Africa. Other nations with large unvaccinated population
include Nigeria, Iraq, Chad, Niger, Angola, Somalia and Sudan. UNICEF estimates that in
2015, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab
Republic and Ukraine had less than 50%coverage of the third dose of diphtheria, tetanus
and pertussis (DTP) vaccine. More than half of the unvaccinated children live in Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Uganda
and South Africa.
Thus Middle East and Africa offer immense potential and opportunities for the vaccine
market. Apart from the unmet needs for vaccination, second most important market driving
factor are the policies of national Governments and international bodies such as World
health organization (WHO). For example vaccine action plan of WHO along with huge
funding from international bodies were responsible for driving the vaccine market to great
heights in the past and also resulted in development and expansion of vaccine production
capacities especially in developing states notably India. Other driving factors are increasing
funds from philanthropy organizations such as Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, inclusion
of several new vaccines in the national immunization schedule of many countries,
development of new vaccines which includes vaccine for hepatitis, growing awareness of
vaccination, growth of manufacturing low cost vaccines especially in developing countries,
the entry of China in the vaccine market etc.
The market’s constraints include falling profitability of vaccine, manufacturing, eradication of
diseases such as smallpox which effectively eliminates the need for vaccine, side effects
associated with vaccines, variability of efficacy of vaccines and difficulty of producing
vaccines for microbes with high mutations such as HIV.
The low profitability in vaccine manufacturing has reduced incentives for developing
vaccines for diseases of the developing world such as tuberculosis and malaria.