Booster vaccines in rich countries will cause more deaths in poor countries. Experts call for ‘responsibility to the rest of humanity’

Experts warn that more people around the world will die if Western political leaders reject their “responsibility to the rest of humanity.” Prioritizing vaccine promotion over distributing doses to the poorest countries can be fatal.

“This is a key moment for decision makers,” says The Guardian Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Center, and Seth Berkeley, director of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Encouragement from a rich country sends a signal to the whole world that reinforcements are needed everywhere. This will cause many doses of the vaccine to be taken out of the system and more people will die because they have never had the opportunity to receive a single dose,” they state.

The World Health Organization has called for the suspension of booster vaccines until at least the end of September, which will help mitigate the sharp inequality in the distribution of vaccines between rich and poor countries.

However, Germany, France, and Israel are planning, and even managing, reinforcements for the older citizens. The same is happening with the United States, which late Thursday allowed a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against covid-19 to be administered to immunocompromised patients.

According to the same source, the Secretary of State for Health in the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid, said, last Tuesday, that there are plans to provide citizens over the age of 50 with a booster dose of the vaccine against Covid-19, at the same time. Received a flu shot.

However, Adam Fane, who is part of the Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), said such blanket implementation may not be necessary, as it is likely that reinforcements will only be needed to protect a few of the most vulnerable people.

“Vaccinating vulnerable people everywhere is in our best interest. It can reduce the risks of new variants emerging and relieve pressure on health care systems, unlock travel, and revitalize the global economy,” say Andrew Pollard and Seth Berkeley.

And they say, “Since we have the luxury of taking two doses, we shouldn’t rush to help millions of people while time runs out for those who have nothing. First doses first. Quite simply.”