The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced a new agreement with CSL Seqirus aimed at securing access to pandemic influenza vaccines for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean during future global health emergencies.

The agreement establishes a mechanism reserving a fixed percentage of the company’s global pandemic influenza vaccine production for participating PAHO member states in the event of a future influenza pandemic.

Participating countries will have the option to access an initial allocation of reserved vaccines.

PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa described the agreement as a major step forward for regional health security and pandemic preparedness.

“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,” Barbosa said.

“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.”

Under the agreement, CSL Seqirus will oversee the development of pandemic influenza vaccines and support technology transfer initiatives.

Part of the vaccine production will take place in Argentina through collaboration with Sinergium Biotech, a move PAHO said will strengthen regional manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience.

CSL Seqirus Executive Vice President and General Manager David Ross said the arrangement combines reserved vaccine access, regional manufacturing and long-term public-private cooperation.

“We’re proud to establish this kind of partnership in Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time,” Ross said.

PAHO said the agreement followed an international competitive procurement process and nearly a year of negotiations.

The organisation said the arrangement is designed to reduce delays in securing vaccines during public health emergencies, particularly when global demand surges and competition for limited supplies intensifies.

PAHO noted that middle-income countries have historically faced disadvantages in accessing vaccines during global crises.

The agreement will allow countries in the region to pool demand and negotiate collectively through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, helping secure more favourable terms and improve equitable access to vaccines.

According to PAHO, vaccine doses will be allocated based on epidemiological evidence and public health risk, with priority given to vulnerable populations.

Barbosa said the agreement marks a shift toward a more proactive regional response to future pandemics.

“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,” he said.

PAHO also warned that avian influenza and other zoonotic diseases remain major global threats, stressing that pandemic preparedness must continue to be a priority across the region.