Against a backdrop of persistent global zoonotic disease threats and hard-won lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced a groundbreaking public-private partnership with CSL Seqirus to reserve a dedicated supply of pandemic influenza vaccines for countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. This historic agreement creates a formal, pre-negotiated mechanism that locks in a fixed percentage of CSL Seqirus’ global pandemic influenza vaccine output for participating PAHO member states, guaranteeing eligible nations early access to an pre-allocated initial stock of doses when a public health emergency strikes.
PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa framed the agreement as a direct correction to gaps in global pandemic preparedness exposed by COVID-19, and a transformative leap forward for regional health security across the Americas. “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,” Barbosa explained. Leveraging CSL Seqirus’ decades of specialized experience in influenza research and large-scale vaccine manufacturing, the deal tasks the company with leading vaccine development and supporting targeted technology transfer to build regional capacity.
A portion of vaccine production will be based at Argentina’s Sinergium Biotech, a partnership that directly addresses another critical lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the urgent need to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities and regional supply chain resilience. For CSL Seqirus, the partnership marks a first-of-its-kind commitment to pandemic preparedness in the region, bringing together pre-reserved doses, local production infrastructure, and long-term cross-sector collaboration. “We’re proud to establish this kind of partnership in Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time,” said David Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CSL Seqirus.
Alejandro Gil, President and CEO of Sinergium Biotech, noted that the collaboration builds on 15 years of capacity building and long-standing partnerships with both PAHO and CSL Seqirus. “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,” Gil said, adding that the work is a source of great pride for the firm.
Negotiated over 12 months following an international competitive procurement process, the agreement is designed to cut down the timeline for securing life-saving vaccines during a pandemic, when global demand skyrockets and competition for limited supplies leaves many nations locked out. Critically, it is one of the first pre-pandemic supply arrangements specifically tailored to improve access for middle-income countries, which have long faced systemic disadvantages in competitive global vaccine markets.
PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds allow participating countries to pool their demand and negotiate as a unified bloc, putting Latin American and Caribbean nations on par with higher-income countries when it comes to securing favorable contract terms. This structure directly advances more equitable access to vaccines in a market that has historically favored wealthy nations. When a pandemic is declared, PAHO will allocate the reserved doses according to epidemiological data and public health risk, with top priority given to the region’s most vulnerable populations. By locking in supply in advance and establishing clear, pre-agreed allocation rules, the agreement shifts the region from a reactive, after-the-fact response model to a proactive, prepared approach.
Barbosa emphasized that the deal marks an unprecedented shift for the region: “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. This agreement shows what is possible when we act together to leverage the power of pooled procurement.” As avian influenza and other emerging zoonotic threats continue to circulate globally, PAHO reiterated that sustained investment in pandemic preparedness remains an urgent public health priority. Virologists and global public health experts consistently identify influenza viruses, particularly those with zoonotic origins, as among the highest probability causes of the next global pandemic.