the rich world is refusing to share vaccines with poorer countries speedily or equitably. Whereas 60% of the population in the UK is fully vaccinated, in Uganda it is only 1%.6 The 50 least wealthy nations, home to 20% of the world’s population, have received just 2% of all vaccine doses.8 The rich world should be ashamed.
WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called global vaccine inequity “grotesque,” a recipe for seeding viral variants capable of escaping vaccines, and a “moral outrage.”
Some vaccine-rich countries are now destroying excess, unused doses.18 And some have imposed export bans and restrictions to protect their stockpiles. Ironically, vaccine companies prevent poorer countries from insisting on similar measures.
This moral scandal, enabled by corporate and political permission of mass death, is tantamount to a crime against humanity. Yet we too are complicit by our silence. Why are workers and shareholders at vaccine companies not speaking out? Where are the academics clamouring to make the “fruits of the scientific enterprise” available to all? Where are the lawyers demanding global justice and corporate accountability? Which leaders of rich nations are pressuring vaccine companies to make their people safe by making the world safe? Where is the grassroots mobilisation of scientists and health workers to fight for fair access to vaccines?
Why we have to donate? Didn’t say they do not want anything from Spain anymore? Aren’t we supposed to be the bad persons due to conquista?
Spain has not obligations towards Latin America — javi2541997
We do more replication of the virus than anyone else, so we're the danger to the world. — frank
I think there's a good argument to sacrifice some of the vaccine stocks in the richer nations to go to the poorer. — Janus
They have been.. — frank
The US will share up to 60 million doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available
Well, none of the VOCs have come from the US thus far. — Isaac
I think that's just accidental. — frank
So you think abandoning less developed economies in a drive to get ever higher vaccination rates in the US is a good policy because you 'guess' the US might yield a new variant? — Isaac
Wait. Aren't you skeptical about the value of vaccines? If not, when did you change your mind? You sure as hell were a few months ago. — frank
The Covid vaccination programme is unquestionably an excellent public health initiative, as most vaccination programmes are — Isaac
Well let's not do that then. It's not a Disney movie. — frank
Yea, mine. I'm suspicious of the pharmaceutical industry. I understand concerns about taking the vaccine. — frank
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