What is special about vaccines?
National impact
National immunization programmes are designed to reach all infants in a country, or all segments of a target population (such as women of child-bearing age). As a public health good from which all citizens gain benefits, vaccines are an important tool to positively impact the health of a nation.
Captive customer
Vaccination against certain diseases is typically mandated by the government; the government offers its immunization services to the 'consumer', who has minimal influence over the exact product that has been chosen.
Preventive nature
Vaccination is not a curative tool. It is a preventive health intervention that is typically administered to healthy persons to prevent onset of illness. The patient therefore cannot evaluate the quality of the treatment by the disappearance of symptoms; instead, any adverse effects associated with vaccination will diminish confidence in the value of vaccination.
Semi-captive market
In contrast to the pharmaceutical industry, the global vaccine market is limited to a few suppliers. At the present time, there are no more than 20 manufacturers which export significant quantities of vaccines.
Careful handling
Vaccines are temperature sensitive and must be handled accordingly. Certain vaccines are more sensitive to heat exposure and others to freezing. Maintaining and monitoring the proper temperatures during the storage and handling of vaccines is critical to preserving their potency and efficacy. Furthermore, vaccines have a limited shelf-life of two years maximum.
Cost
For many years, the price of vaccines used in national immunization programmes traditionally cost only a few pennies per dose, and vaccination is typically provided free of charge via the public sector. Vaccines can therefore be perceived by consumers as being of low-value, despite the increased costliness of the newer and more technologically sophisticated vaccines on the market.
Last updated: 9 October 2008