The Covid- 19 pandemic has proven one thing: that in the hard-nosed world of vaccine politics and big business pharmaceuticals, ‘charity’ and ‘goodwill’ take a back-seat.

This week, the WHO announced the global milestone of having produced vaccines for 10 billion people worldwide against the covid virus.

When French President Emmanuel Macron took the Covid-19 vaccine in December 2020, he announced that it was ‘the beginning of the end’ for the virus. Thirteen months later, there is no end to the spread of the virus that has held governments to ransom the world over.

Governments and drug companies have successfully achieved the milestone of vaccinating 10 billion people across the globe. The truth is the distribution of the vaccines is unbalanced.

As of January 31, just about 4.81 billion people worldwide have received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, equal to about 62.6 percent of the world population.

In India 69 percent of the population have received at least one dose.

In rich countries, 77% of people have received at least one dose, whereas the percentage is as low as 10% in low income countries.

North America and Europe have started offering boosters to overcome the Omicron surge, – a third dose to follow up the first two- while several countries in Africa and Asia are still in line for their first dose. 

Commenting on the issue, Madhukar Pal, a professor of epidemiology and bio-statistics said, “Ten billion doses is a triumph of science but a complete failure of global solidarity.”

Globally, more than 4.8 billion people have received Covid-19 vaccine, which makes 62.6% of the world population.

Researchers have found that vaccines made in China  are less effective, when compared with those made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

 The research also shows that most of the vaccines offer little protection against Omicron.

This month Covax delivered its billionth dose, but the disparity still remains.

In many countries, the spread of misinformation regarding the vaccine has made people hesitant in taking vaccines. Distribution of vaccines in far-flung areas with poor infrastructure has also been an impediment among people who are willing to be inoculated.

“We are seeing pretty good vaccination rates in cities and capitals, where vaccines tend to land, but that supply run headfirst into the general challenges of building stronger health system in these countries”, said a Professor from Oxford University.

The high income nations have announced initiatives to help overcome logistical and delivery problems. But these high income nations like U.S. have objected on allowing drug companies to share their technology so that poorer nations can manufacture vaccines from themselves.

South Africa has set up a hub to develop mRNA vaccines. They are starting from scratch because the U.S. pharmaceutical company won’t share its technology.

“We have learned through this pandemic that charity does not work in global health, and charity is not the same as justice, and that is what countries are looking for – a just approach to be able to save themselves”, said Dr. Pal.

As for India, there is a lot of chest thumping and official self-congratulations, but the actual figures show that just about 52 percent of the population has received two doses of the vaccine.

  COVID-19, development, India, World Health Organisation (WHO)