Decentralized Vaccine Making: A New Path to Fair Access

The world has learned that when only a few places can make vaccines, shortages and delays become inevitable. The COVID‑19 crisis showed that a single, concentrated production model can leave many countries behind when a new disease strikes. In response, a group of 32 research and public health institutions from every continent has formed the Pasteur Network. This network works inside each country’s own health system, turning local research labs into vaccine factories that produce both human and animal shots. At present, twelve of these facilities can create more than 525 million doses each year.They design, test and produce vaccines that match the needs of their communities, while also feeding into global projects like CEPI. Because they are part of the national health infrastructure, their work stays closely tied to what each country actually needs. Yet challenges remain. Staff turnover is high, and steady funding is hard to secure. Supply chains are fragile, regulations differ from one country to another, and coordination across the network can feel disjointed. The Pasteur Network shows that a model built around public health priorities and local production can work on a large scale. It offers a blueprint that could guide future funding, policy and global collaboration for vaccine manufacturing.