Rich nations representing a fraction of the global population have already bought up over half the promised COVID-19 vaccine stocks, a study showed, as US President Donald Trump pledged to begin inoculating Americans within weeks.
Big pharma is racing to produce an effective jab to counter a virus that has now killed more than 935,000 people around the world and infected almost 30 million.
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday warned against “vaccine nationalism” that she said could put lives at risk by depriving the most vulnerable in poorer nations of immunity.
But a study released by Oxfam showed a group of wealthy countries representing just 13 percent of the world population has already secured the lion’s share of doses.
“Access to a life-saving vaccine shouldn’t depend on where you live or how much money you have,” said Robert Silverman of Oxfam America.
Repatriating students
The Solomon Islands said it would repatriate hundreds of students stranded in the Philippines despite fears their return will torpedo the Pacific nation’s rare coronavirus-free status.
More than 400 students have been stuck, with many complaining of difficult conditions, since the island nation closed its borders in March.
Their return has become a headache for officials in one of the few COVID-free countries in the world, while the Philippines has recorded more than 260,000 cases.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said all students — including 12 who have tested positive for the virus — would be repatriated, and that officials were working with the Red Cross.
Flights from Manila to Honiara are planned on September 27 and 29. A third on October 24 will carry students who tested positive, after they recover and undergo quarantine.
Alarming rates
Meanwhile, the European chapter of the World Health Organization on Thursday said it saw “alarming rates of transmission” of Covid-19 across the region and warned countries against shortening quarantine periods.
“The September case numbers… should serve as a wake-up call for all of us,” the WHO’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said.
“Although these numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also shows alarming rates of transmission across the region,” he told a press conference, as the organization said it was concerned about countries which had decided to shorten quarantine requirements.