Question
If the COVID-19 vaccine is lifesaving, why is not available to everyone in the world?
22 December 2020. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, COVID-19.
Answer
You are right, for a vaccine to be really effective, everyone will need to use it. This includes in all countries.
Many organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have been working all year to also make access fair.
For example, the international COVAX programme is aiming to vaccinate two billion people during 2021. This includes more than 100 low and middle income countries including across Africa, Asia and South America.
So optimistically, at some point, everyone will have access.
In practice, high income countries that could afford the first commercial vaccines have bought most of the first stock.
But some of the next stock during 2021 – and more importantly newer vaccines, will be available for the COVAX programme. This might not be until later in 2021 and 2022 though.
These two liks have more information.
Website for WHO COVAX programme for global access.
https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax
The People’s Vaccine – a collaboration of large charities including Oxfam.
https://www.oxfam.org/en/tags/peoples-vaccine
This is one of more than 65 questions about COVID vaccines. It was produced by and for people living with HIV.
Q&A on COVID vaccines: are they safe and effective?
https://i-base.info/qa/16330
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