(Newser)
– As good news continues to fall on the coronavirus efforts in the US, including an agreement reported by the Biden administration that cheated on 200 million extra doses for Americans, things are not progressing as well in many parts of the world. In fact, UNICEF says 130 countries need to “administer another dose” on the NPR, leaving 2.5 billion people in the cold and highlighting the wide disparity between rich and poorest nations. Factors underlying the problem include the lack of a sufficient number of vaccines to circulate, as well as possible problems with current vaccine candidates in combating COVID-19 variants. South Africa, for example, pivoted on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine of the AstraZeneca variety – a relatively inexpensive, relatively cheap vaccine that low-resource countries used – because the latter was not as effective in preventing COVID caused by variant B.1.351 now predominant in South Africa.
Drug maker Moderna has already secured most of its initial vaccine supply to richer countries Washington Post, and other companies follow suit, leaving poorer countries desperate for any vaccine, even others that are not as effective. The World Health Organization projects that these struggling nations may not have widespread access to the vaccine until the end of 2022 or even 2023, per USA Today. To help these countries, WHO has helped launch COVAX, a vaccination program that seeks to provide the world’s poorest nations with 20% of their population (mainly the elderly and health workers) inoculated by the end of the year. “In this way, avoid what … would be unethical and unconvincing,” says a South African doctor. And also a dangerous thing, Jeremy Farrar, head of the charity Wellcome, tells Euronews: “Vaccination of many people in several countries, leaving the virus uncontrolled in many parts of the world, will lead to several variants.” (Read more articles about the coronavirus vaccine.)