An assessment of the regional vaccine manufacturing ecosystem the structural risks that threaten its sustainability, and targeted recommendations to address them
Latin America and the Caribbean has made real progress in building its own vaccine supply. The share of vaccines procured through the PAHO Revolving Fund from regional manufacturers has grown from under one percent in 2020 to approximately 23 percent by 2025 — a shift driven by new manufacturing partnerships, growing technical capability, and stronger regional commitment to health sovereignty. This includes vaccines used in routine immunization programs as well as those needed to respond to future health emergencies.
But building capacity and sustaining it are two different challenges. Most manufacturers in the region are still limited to supplying their home country, constrained by how their partnerships have been structured. Without access to larger regional markets, they cannot reach the scale they need to stay commercially viable. At the same time, despite the PAHO Revolving Fund’s strength in aggregating regional demand, purchasing commitments from governments remain uncertain for manufacturers to plan and invest with confidence. These two problems feed each other — and if left unaddressed, the progress of the last five years is at risk of stalling.
This whitepaper, commissioned by the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC) and jointly developed with CHAI, examines the progress of the region, where the gaps are and what it will take to close them. It draws on direct conversations with manufacturers, financiers, and procurement bodies across the region, and sets out specific recommendations for governments, regional organizations, financiers, and manufacturers on what needs to change.
