
Credit: unsplash.com @markusspiske
The Dangers of Vaccine Nationalism
The issue of global inequality and how it’s affecting Covid-19 vaccination programmes.
The UK is currently pushing ahead in its Covid-19 vaccination programme. 600,000 Brits alone received a dose on the 30th of January in pursuit of the Prime Minister’s pledge that the most vulnerable will be vaccinated by mid-February. The UK government has ordered over 300 million doses in total, ensuring that all British citizens will be immunised with doses to spare, mirroring the situation in other wealthier nations including Canada and the US.

Yet the reality in other countries is very different. Many lower income states have yet to rollout Covid-19 vaccination programmes or have vaccinated only a tiny portion of their populations. According to research carried out by the Duke Health Innovation Center, the African Union, with its population of more than 1.25 billion, has purchased only 270 million vaccine doses. Experts have argued that we are witnessing the beginnings of a “vaccine apartheid”, where developed nations are receiving access to jabs ahead of poorer developing nations.
The moral implications of this impending crisis are worrying. Already, the costs of some vaccines for lower income countries have risen to more than twice that of what higher income countries have paid, as they become scarcer due to aggressive purchasing tactics. In the name of protecting their populations, developing nations are forced to plunge further into debt.
If the UK continues to doggedly pursue the goal of ensuring that all adults have received a first dose by autumn of this year, the state of affairs will only worsen elsewhere across the world. Vulnerable people in poorer countries will die before they are vaccinated as low risk adults receive immunity across Canada, the EU, the US and the UK. As a 19-year-old who is unlikely to become seriously ill from Covid-19, it is distressing to think that by receiving the vaccination, I could be depriving a frontline worker or immunocompromised person in a developing country their dose.
Wealthier nations stockpiling such a critical resource is not only unethical, but economically irresponsible. The International Chamber of Commerce has estimated that it will cost the world economy over $9 trillion if developing countries continue to struggle to access the vaccine. A prolonged continuation of the pandemic will only result in declining demand and damaged supply chains, equally impacting the economies of both the richest and poorest countries.

The situation has become even more pressing as experts have identified several new variants of the virus, originating in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. These variants are potentially more transmissible, deadly and may reduce the effectiveness of existing vaccines. An enduring “vaccine apartheid” could increase the likelihood of these mutations occurring, placing an ongoing strain on health services that are on the brink of collapse.
As the UK and EU squabble over doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine like petulant children, it is increasingly evident that vaccine nationalism is well and truly upon us. But there is reason to be optimistic. Norway has promised to share its surplus doses with poorer countries, whilst India has shipped vaccines to Bangladesh and Nepal. COVAX, the WHO’s pooling mechanism tasked with overseeing a fair global vaccine rollout, has received donations from countries including the UK. This means it will be able to share over 1 billion vaccine doses this year.
However, these doses will not be enough. More financial pledges must be made to COVAX. Countries with vaccine contracts should commit to donating surplus doses and allow lower income nations to have priority access to supplies to narrow the widening gulf between rich and poor. Yet it is not just vaccines that should be pooled. Vital information concerning the treatment and testing of Covid-19 should be shared and patents waived for the production of vaccines until we are all on an equal footing, and until the pandemic has been brought under control.
Covid-19 does not discriminate, and its impact will be felt by everyone, everywhere, for years to come. Let’s make sure that immunity to the virus does not become merely another hallmark of an increasingly unequal world.
ivermectin pills for humans for sale buy ivermectin for humans online ivermectin india
propecia cost finasteride hair loss finasteride for sale
best ed medication erectile dysfunction medicines the best ed pill
buying from canadian online pharmacies buying from canadian online pharmacies recommended canadian pharmacies
This paragraph is in fact a fastidious one it helps new web visitors,
who are wishing in favor of blogging.
india pharmacy without dr prescriptions reputable online pharmacies in india cheap generic drugs from india
canada rx drugs online reputable canadian mail order pharmacies internet pharmacy no prior prescription
legitimate online pharmacies india reputable online pharmacies in india trusted india online pharmacies
Your means of telling all in this post is really pleasant, all can easily know it, Thanks a lot.
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much
more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out
a designer to create your theme? Excellent work!
Take a look at my web site: special
I am glad to be one of many visitors on this great site (:, thankyou for putting up.
Hi there, I discovered your site by way of Google at the same time as searching for a similar subject, your web site came up, it seems good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
I¦ve recently started a website, the information you offer on this web site has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work.
You are my inspiration , I have few blogs and occasionally run out from to post .
Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
ラブドール 日本 フィニッシュプレゼンテーションを訪れた後、私は絶望的にシリコン人形に夢中になりました。何か助けはありますか?
Very interesting topic, regards for putting up. “Education a debt due from present to future generations.” by George Peabody.
Good answers in return of this matter with real arguments and
describing all on the topic of that.
cheap tricor 160mg order fenofibrate 160mg purchase tricor sale
cheap zaditor 1 mg buy zaditor 1mg buy tofranil 25mg online cheap
acarbose 25mg drug order fulvicin 250mg sale griseofulvin 250mg ca
buy minoxidil cheap order generic tadalafil best place to buy ed pills online
An impressive share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing a bit of evaluation on this. And he in actual fact purchased me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the deal with! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to debate this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. If doable, as you develop into experience, would you thoughts updating your weblog with extra details? It’s extremely helpful for me. Huge thumb up for this blog put up!
buy aspirin 75mg generic buy generic aspirin for sale imiquimod price
dipyridamole 25mg for sale cheap plendil 5mg order pravastatin for sale
melatonin 3 mg us meloset us buy danocrine pills
florinef 100 mcg pill order fludrocortisone imodium for sale
order prasugrel 10 mg generic brand detrol 1mg buy tolterodine 2mg without prescription
etodolac 600mg sale mebeverine 135 mg for sale order pletal 100 mg without prescription
ferrous usa buy betapace 40 mg sale cheap sotalol 40mg
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for! “One man’s folly is another man’s wife.” by Helen Rowland.
mestinon 60mg tablet buy cheap generic rizatriptan rizatriptan 5mg price
buy enalapril pills cheap casodex 50mg lactulose online buy
betahistine for sale benemid 500mg without prescription oral probenecid 500 mg
purchase zovirax online order generic exelon 3mg buy exelon 6mg sale
omeprazole 20mg cost prilosec 20mg price buy lopressor without a prescription
buy micardis 20mg sale telmisartan 20mg over the counter cost molnupiravir 200mg
buy generic cenforce for sale naprosyn 500mg ca buy chloroquine for sale
order modafinil 100mg pill buy promethazine without prescription order deltasone 5mg online cheap
omnicef 300mg canada glucophage for sale buy lansoprazole generic
azithromycin online order order prednisolone online cheap order neurontin 100mg sale
slot games online blackjack online free brand furosemide 40mg
buy pantoprazole 20mg generic buy zestril 10mg phenazopyridine for sale
play live poker online roulette online with real money albuterol usa
blackjack poker online pala casino online ivermectin lice oral
order amantadine 100mg generic buy atenolol 50mg brand avlosulfon
spins real money brand augmentin 1000mg buy levoxyl online cheap
buy medrol medication how to buy medrol order triamcinolone 10mg generic
serophene price purchase imuran for sale buy azathioprine
order coversum generic allegra 120mg sale fexofenadine 180mg cost
order dilantin without prescription order dilantin online buy oxybutynin 2.5mg generic
buy baclofen cheap buy toradol for sale toradol 10mg for sale
order baclofen 10mg generic lioresal cheap toradol 10mg cheap
order fosamax without prescription buy generic macrodantin purchase macrodantin sale
purchase glimepiride for sale etoricoxib 60mg cheap buy arcoxia without a prescription
brand inderal 10mg inderal ca buy generic clopidogrel 150mg
buy pamelor 25 mg without prescription nortriptyline ca panadol 500mg ca
order xenical 120mg pill mesalamine 400mg cost diltiazem 180mg oral
azelastine 10ml over the counter buy irbesartan 300mg buy avapro 150mg
buy pepcid 40mg pepcid 40mg tablet buy prograf 5mg generic
esomeprazole 40mg without prescription mirtazapine price topiramate 200mg pills
allopurinol over the counter rosuvastatin pill buy cheap crestor
generic sumatriptan 50mg buy avodart online dutasteride medication
buspar 10mg sale order buspin for sale amiodarone 100mg over the counter
purchase ranitidine pill meloxicam pills celecoxib ca
order generic domperidone buy carvedilol 6.25mg sale buy cheap generic tetracycline
websites to write essays cheap thesis binding paper writer
buy aldactone generic proscar cost buy generic propecia 1mg
sildenafil 100mg usa aurogra 50mg us order yasmin pill
cheap forcan buy generic acillin for sale where to buy ciprofloxacin without a prescription
lamotrigine over the counter order prazosin 2mg for sale buy mebendazole 100mg without prescription
metronidazole online buy buy keflex pill buy cephalexin 250mg without prescription
buy cleocin 300mg pill causes of erectile dysfunction best natural ed pills
buy nolvadex 10mg online cheap purchase budesonide online order budesonide generic
order tadalafil without prescription generic diclofenac 50mg order indocin 75mg
buy axetil generic buy ceftin 500mg for sale buy robaxin 500mg pills
purchase lamisil online cheap legal online real money casino blackjack online us
desyrel 100mg cost buy suhagra tablets clindamycin for sale
order aspirin 75 mg without prescription online slot games world tavern poker online
essay writers online academic cover letter order cefixime generic
pay essay writing pay for a research paper play online roulette for fun
amoxicillin generic purchase amoxicillin generic generic biaxin 250mg
buy calcitriol oral calcitriol buy tricor 200mg
buy catapres no prescription oral spiriva 9mcg buy spiriva 9mcg online cheap
dermatologist specializes in acne oral medication for severe acne order oxcarbazepine 300mg generic
minomycin over the counter terazosin pill ropinirole 2mg cost
how to buy alfuzosin alternative to antihistamine for allergy medications that make you nauseous
letrozole 2.5mg without prescription albendazole online buy buy abilify generic
strongest non prescription sleeping pills common medications causing hair loss diet pill that really works
buy medroxyprogesterone online hydrochlorothiazide us cost microzide
chewing tobacco equivalent to cigarettes alternative treatment for osteoporosis uk buy pain reliever online
cyproheptadine price order cyproheptadine 4mg order ketoconazole 200mg online cheap
online treatment for genital herpes over the counter preventative inhaler sugar tablet name list