Wealthier, well-vaccinated countries are starting to give COVID-19 vaccine boosters to their general population. This is after several months of these countries hoarding COVID vaccines, keeping poorer countries from being vaccinated. Now, “We're planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we're leaving other people to drown.”
Global public health experts warn us that new COVID-19 variants are most likely to emerge in unvaccinated countries where COVID is running rampant.
Today, I ask you to please consider these global factors as you decide whether to get a booster.
Resources:
WIRED, 8/20/21
The US Is Getting Covid Booster Shots. The World Is Furious
https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-is-getting-covid-booster-shots-the-world-is-furious/
CNBC, 8/17/21
U.S. should focus on vaccinating the rest of the world before Covid booster shots, says Dr. Vin Gupta
Our World In Data, 8/22/21
Share of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
NY Times, 3/31/21
See How Rich Countries Got to the Front of the Vaccine Line
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/31/world/global-vaccine-supply-inequity.html
NY Times, 8/2/21
Where a Vast Global Vaccination Program Went Wrong
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/world/europe/covax-covid-vaccine-problems-africa.html
NPR, 8/20/21
They're Asking Biden To Vaccinate The World. It's Not Fair. But It's Not Impossible
Al Jazeera, 6/29/21
Explainer: What are patent waivers for COVID vaccines?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/29/explainer-what-are-covid-vaccine-patent-waivers