WHO warns of 'vaccine nationalism'

COVID treatment programs are rolling out over Europe and the rest of the world, but exceptions are already emerging in speed and availability. The World Health Organisation has warned against a vaccination race, saying it favors rich countries. "At present, 42 countries are rolling out safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "Thirty-six of these are high-income nations, and six are middle-income countries, so there is a clear difficulty that low and most middle-income countries are not receiving the vaccine yet... vaccine nationalism hurts us all and is self-defeating." The People's Vaccine Alliance concludes that, at present, growing countries will only be able to prevent one in 10 people. Like the EU bloc, rich nations have bought enough doses to preserve their entire populations three times over if all the vaccines ordered are approved for use. Because it doesn't need to be deported and stored at ultra-low temperatures, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine may be the key for many low-income countries. It's already being administered in the UK, but the provider is also pledging to deliver two-thirds of its vaccinations to people in developing nations.

WHO warns of 'vaccine nationalism'

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