As the United Kingdom launches its COVID-19 vaccination, Africa and other poor countries may miss out on the largest ever immunisation drive expected next year unless enough doses are produced urgently, a group of organisations warns.
High-income countries have bought up the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply through direct deals with vaccine developers for advance purchases of anticipated COVID-19 vaccines.
The UK became the first country to begin its vaccination rollout on Tuesday, with the over-80s and some health and care workers prioritised to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
The group that includes Amnesty International, Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now and Oxfam, says in a statement released today (9 December) that about 70 poor countries will manage to vaccinate only one in ten people against COVID-19 next year.
Data collected and analysed on the deals done between countries and the eight leading vaccine candidates, according to the group, shows that 67 low- and lower middle-income countries are at high risk of being left behind because of rich countries buying large doses.
Of the 67, Kenya, Nigeria, Myanmar, Pakistan and Ukraine have reported more than 1.5 million cases of COVID-19 between them.