The COVID Vaccine Must Be Universally Available. Anything Less Is Immoral.
It appears that an effective COVID-19 vaccine may be on the horizon. But the profit-making of Big Pharma is threatening what should be a basic principle: that the vaccine is universally available, not just in rich countries but across the Global South.
Every country deserves to have access to the vaccines and treatments to combat the coronavirus. (Flickr)
There was a collective sigh of relief at the news that Pfizer’s early results show an effective COVID-19 vaccine may be on the horizon. Pfizer’s boss trumpeted the announcement by declaring: “Today is a great day for science and humanity.”
A vaccine breakthrough is indeed great news but sadly it’s not for the whole of humanity — just a small fraction. Over 80 percent of the Pfizer vaccine stocks up to the end of next year have already been hoarded by rich countries such as the UK, US, EU, Japan, and Canada. Collectively these countries represent just 14 percent of the global population.
If Pfzier’s vaccine is approved, the majority of the world’s population — living mainly in low- and middle-income countries — will not be able to get anywhere near it. And it’s the same story with Moderna, who has declared that their vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective. Seventy-eight percent of their doses have already been bought up by rich countries, representing just 12 percent of the global population.
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