Guyana to benefit from pandemic protection with new Regional vaccine deal

May 14, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Guyana and its Caribbean neighbours are set to benefit from a landmark agreement aimed at securing faster access to life-saving influenza vaccines if another global pandemic strikes.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Tuesday announced a historic agreement with CSL Seqirus aimed at securing a reserved share of pandemic influenza vaccines production for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in the case of a future influenza pandemic.

The agreement establishes a mechanism that reserves a fixed percentage of the company’s global pandemic influenza vaccine output for participating PAHO Member States. Participating countries will have the option to access an initial reserved allocation of vaccines.

“This agreement is a direct response to the hard lessons of COVID-19 and a major step forward in strengthening health security and pandemic preparedness across the Americas,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. “Through our Regional Revolving Funds, countries are joining forces to secure a reserved share of vaccine production, helping protect those at risk when it matters most.”

According to PAHO, under the agreement, CSL Seqirus will lead the development of pandemic influenza vaccines and facilitate technology transfer efforts, drawing on its decades of experience in influenza science and large-scale manufacturing.

Through collaboration with Argentina’s Sinergium Biotech, part of the production will take place in Argentina, strengthening local manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience, another key lesson drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This agreement puts pandemic preparedness best practices into action, bringing together reserved doses, regional manufacturing capability, and a long-term public-private commitment,” said David Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CSL Seqirus. “We’re proud to establish this kind of partnership in Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time.

Based on previous collaborations for influenza vaccine supply and the consistent annual demand supported by the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds, regional production is expanding. This agreement also helps lay the foundation for building future production capabilities within the region.

“This agreement builds on a long-standing collaborative relationship we have maintained with PAHO since 2021 and with CSL Seqirus since 2010. The infrastructure and human resource capacities developed at Sinergium over the past 15 years now enable us to guarantee countries in the region access to quality products to respond to future pandemics, in line with the regional strategies defined by PAHO. For Sinergium, it is a source of pride to be able to contribute in such a significant way to public health in the region,” said Alejandro Gil, President and CEO of Sinergium Biotech S.A.

Reached after an international competitive procurement process and a year-long negotiation, the agreement seeks to shorten the time needed to secure vaccines during a public health emergency, when global demand surges and competition for limited supplies intensifies. It is among the first arrangement of its kind designed specifically to improve access for middle-income countries, which have historically faced significant disadvantages in global markets.

By enabling countries to pool demand and negotiate as a bloc, PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds give Latin America and the Caribbean the ability to secure terms and conditions comparable to those available to higher-income countries, helping improve equitable accessin a highly competitive global market.

PAHO will allocate the reserved doses based on epidemiological evidence and public health risk, with priority given to the most vulnerable populations. By reserving supply in advance and establishing clear allocation mechanisms, the agreement shifts the region from a reactive to a more proactive approach to pandemic response.

“For the first time, countries of the Americas are positioning themselves on more equal footing in a future global health emergency—not as individual markets, but as a region,” Dr. Barbosa added. “This agreement shows what is possible when we act together to leverage the power of pooled procurement.”

As avian influenza and other zoonotic threats continue to emerge, PAHO emphasized that preparedness must remain a constant priority. Influenza viruses—particularly those with zoonotic origins—remain among the most likely causes of future pandemics.

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• COVID-19, influenza vaccines, PAHO, pandemic

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