OBJECTIVES : Governments across the world have granted unprecedented funding for COVID-19 technologies. However, questions arise around how the pandemic will affect access to other vaccines that do not target COVID-19. This study aimed to assess payers’ expectations on how COVID-19 will impact the budget allocation for non-COVID-19 vaccines.

METHODS : The study was conducted across US, EU5, China and Brazil during April and May 2020. 77 in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders (payers) were conducted to assess the short and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on the budget allocation/willingness to pay for seasonal influenza, pneumococcal and other paediatric/adult vaccines.

RESULTS : 1 in 3 stakeholders anticipate that COVID-19 will have a positive impact on the budget allocation for seasonal influenza vaccines and to a lesser extent for pneumococcal vaccines and no or negative consequences to the other paediatric/adults vaccines. This is explained partly by the expectation of an increased vaccination coverage rate for seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in the population considered high-risk for COVID-19 (65+ and/or population with comorbidities) and to a lesser extent in the 18-64 healthy population. Further to this, in some countries (Spain, Italy and Brazil) there is an expectation that the vaccination recommendations/reimbursement will be broadened to include - to varying degrees - younger and healthier populations. More than half of the payers expect policy to shift towards securing more healthcare and economic resources into prevention and surveillance the long-term.

CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that in the view of avoiding a double burden of COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases in possible future waves, there is potential for both an immediate (assuming no COVID-19 vaccine is available) and future positive impact on budget allocation and willingness to pay for seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.