Over the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and the EU have begun a state-led struggle for leadership. What Japan must learn from this postwar and historic human disaster is not September school admission, but the construction of vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical security as a national strategy.

May 2, 2020
The following article also tells us that the hundred-year national strategy Japan must draw up from one of the greatest disasters in human history is not such a thing.
The following is from today’s Nikkei Shimbun.
Japanese television media hardly report such matters.
Instead, they report about a movement suddenly begun, for some reason, by a housewife in Suginami or Setagaya.
I believe that this is also intended to divert the anger of the Japanese people away from China.
The issue of September school admission, and so on.
This is not only the greatest postwar disaster, but also one of the greatest disasters in human history.
What Japan must learn from it, what Japan must think about, what Japan must deal with.
And the hundred-year national strategy Japan must draw up from it.
The following article tells us that it is not such a thing.

Vaccine competition among nations intensifies.
The United States invests 130 billion yen in coronavirus-related projects.
China aims for practical use within the year.

Over the development of vaccines for the novel coronavirus, countries are engaged in a fierce struggle for leadership.
The United States, which is ahead, is investing more than 100 billion yen for the purpose of domestic supply and stockpiling, and is supporting the practical application of vaccines by pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the United States.
China is also strengthening development with the whole nation behind it, and European forces are also entering the global competition.
There are also movements to support vaccine development through international cooperation, but the speed of state-led development is accelerating.

Challenges for international cooperation.
In the United States, what supports the development of a novel coronavirus vaccine is the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, BARDA.
BARDA was established in 2006 to respond to bioterrorism and other threats.
It is an organization under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, and is operated with the national budget.
It supports the development and production of treatments and vaccines in order to protect the lives of American citizens.
Since early March, when coronavirus infections became serious in the United States, BARDA has concentrated on novel coronavirus projects.
The amount invested exceeds 1.2 billion dollars, or 130 billion yen.
BARDA does not merely support development.
It invests huge sums of money with the construction of production systems in mind, so that supply can begin immediately after development is completed.
It has already split equipment investment costs of 1 billion dollars, or about 100 billion yen, with Johnson & Johnson, J&J, and has also concluded a supply contract for one billion doses of the novel coronavirus vaccine.
BARDA is also investing about 430 million dollars, or about 46 billion yen, in the American biotechnology company Moderna.
It is said to have decided to invest before confirming the vaccine’s effectiveness, and at the same time to have concluded a contract to purchase large quantities.
On April 30, Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed the existence of a plan to supply hundreds of millions of vaccine doses by January 2021.
“We will proceed with expanding production at risk, before the answer is out as to whether it is effective or not.”
Dr. Fauci.
The details have not been made clear, but the presence of BARDA can be seen behind it.
The United States gives top priority to supply for its own country, but similar movements are spreading.

In China, three vaccine trials are underway at biotechnology companies and research institutes with close ties to the government.
It is said that they are receiving government support for development costs, trial design, and even manufacturing systems.
Unlike Europe and the United States, which emphasize safety, China gives priority to confirming effectiveness, and therefore the speed toward practical application is fast.
The vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics, which receives support, has advanced to the world’s first clinical trial to confirm effectiveness, and aims for practical use within the year.
China aims to expand its diplomatic influence by supplying the vaccine not only to its own country, but also to developing countries.

It is not only the United States and China that are rushing vaccine development.
The University of Oxford, which began vaccine trials in the United Kingdom, announced on April 30 a partnership with the major British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, AZ.
The British government is also providing the university with 20 million pounds, or 2.7 billion yen.
It will build a production system for 100 million doses of vaccine within the year and hurry supply to the British people.
The European Union, EU, has also decided to provide 80 million euros, or about 9.4 billion yen, in research grants to a leading German vaccine manufacturer.
This too is said to be intended to defend that manufacturer from the United States, which seeks priority supply.
However, Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of the major French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, pointed out that “in support for vaccine development, the European Commission has not reached the level of BARDA,” and expressed concern that Europe could fall behind in development speed and other areas.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, CEPI, an international public-private partnership organization, takes “equal access” as its principle.
Companies that receive support are required to supply the vaccine at affordable prices without discrimination.
However, CEPI’s support centers on research and development, and does not go as far as building supply systems as BARDA does.
Japan also contributes funds to CEPI.
Domestically, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED, which is under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office and other bodies, supports vaccine development.
The scale of support is small, and is limited to grants for clinical trials and similar efforts.
As the world conducts a struggle for supremacy over vaccine development, there is no guarantee that foreign-made vaccines will be imported promptly into Japan.
In order to accelerate the development of domestically produced vaccines, Japan needs to pour resources not only into systems and funding, but also into production capacity.
Advanced medical editor Tomoyuki Takada, London, Minoru Satake, Washington, Taisei Hozan.