The EU, UK, US, and others have for months been blocking wider vaccine production globally by obstructing the #TRIPSwaiver at the World Trade Organization.

They are trying to fight a global pandemic while deliberately limiting vaccine supplies.

Madness.

Only 2.7% of the world is fully vaccinated;

83% of shots administered in high- & upper-middle-income countries;

Only 0.2% in low-income ones.

Too slow. Too uneven.

We need to beat vaccine scarcity with greater production.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

Global pandemic.

Global vaccine shortages.

Time for global solutions.

Read more…

On how we got here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/21/world/vaccine-patents-us-eu.html

On why the rollout is too slow for everyone: https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/two-thirds-epidemiologists-warn-mutations-could-render-current-covid-vaccines

On why we need a rights-based approach: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/04/reinforcing-rights-can-help-avert-failure-covid-19-vaccines

Even before the vast majority of the world has received a single jab, the pharma companies & rich governments are saying we will likely need boosters & new vaccines to meet emerging new variants that are resistant to current vaccines:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/15/pfizer-ceo-says-third-covid-vaccine-dose-likely-needed-within-12-months.html

2 consequences…

First, if 3rd-shot boosters of the current vaccine become necessary, it will mean that the "vaccine nationalism" of rich countries fighting each other for scarce doses will continue...

...and most countries of the world will continue to get nothing or not enough.

The COVAX facility may help get 20% of some poorer countries' doses, but that's not nearly herd immunity level (thought to be 70% at least). Plus, more money doesn't help if there are no doses to buy because of the enforced scarcity.

Thread on that: https://twitter.com/astroehlein/status/1384392610329112580

Second, just step back & think about it: where would these new variants emerge? Most likely in the bodies of those of us who haven't been vaccinated because we can't get vaccines - that is, the vast majority of the world.

It's only a matter of time:
https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/two-thirds-epidemiologists-warn-mutations-could-render-current-covid-vaccines

So:

a) Rich govts blocking wider production of vaccines globally;

b) Thus vaccine scarcity;

c) Vaccine rollout takes longer;

d) More time means more deaths & more chances for new variants to emerge that resist current vaccines;

e) We then need new vaccines. Return to a)

As long as global vaccine production is artificially throttled like this, we'll be in an endless, deadly circle.

With limited vaccine production, we're in a deadly "Red Queen's race" à la Lewis Carroll...

“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

The truth is, "If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

The EU, UK, US & other government need to stop blocking wider vaccine production globally.

The #TRIPSwaiver is backed by…

100+ governments: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/oxfam-response-wto-trips-waiver-covid-19-vaccines-being-blocked-again-rich-countries

NGOs: https://peoplesvaccine.org/ 

Past presidents & prime ministers, Nobel laureates: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/president-biden-support-a-peoples-vaccine-2021-04-by-gordon-brown-et-al-2021-04

#TRIPSwaiver also backed by:

Medical experts: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00388-3/fulltext

The head of the World Health Organization: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/05/covid-vaccines-who-chief-backs-patent-waiver-to-boost-production

Hundreds of European lawmakers: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/24/eu-should-stop-blocking-efforts-increase-global-vaccine-access

US lawmakers: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/544620-progressives-up-pressure-on-biden-to-back-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver

Trade unions: https://www.etuc.org/en/document/letter-european-commission-covid-vaccines

"At this rate, it might take many years for low- & middle-income countries to reach a high level of vaccine coverage. Without widespread vaccination, many more people will die & the world simply cannot end this global crisis."
https://naturemicrobiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/10-reasons-why-everyone-should-advocate-for-covid-19-vaccine-equity

#PeoplesVaccine