COVID Vaccines: A New Way to Observe Global Inequality?
As Alijazeera reporter Nick Dearden comments in his piece about the inequity of COVID vaccinations, “The rich world’s stance is not simply ‘me first’, but ‘me first, second, third and fourth.’” Source: University of Maryland
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a global trauma that has affected millions, exacerbating the systemic issues and inequalities in the world and within individual nations in addition to the death and loss experienced. The United States itself observed polarization and the consequences of individualism throughout the various stages of the pandemic, as disparities in the impact of COVID-19 drastically differed across different ethnic and racial groups, such as Native Americans. On a global scale, the pandemic emphasizes the inequality between wealthy Western nations and the Global South.
COVID-19 has affected wealthy and affluent nations differently than impoverished nations in both infections and now the vaccination process. How the pandemic has unfolded in the Global South versus Western society is a direct consequence of pre-existing inequalities and a lack of responsibility from the West. Currently, as the New York Times reports, “Fewer than 6 percent of Africans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and fewer than a third of African nations had fully vaccinated 10 percent of their populations by the start of this month [October, 2021].” This low number of people protected from the deadly virus simultaneously persists while Americans receive their booster shots.
The disparity between health resources begs the question of the world’s citizens: is enough being done to make sure that everyone has equal access to care? Arguments may arise that nations such as the United States were at the helm of funding and developing the vaccines being used now, so they should get first pick. This conclusion ignores the advantage of wealth that allows countries like the U.S. to fund and quickly buy the available supply of vaccines, effectively leaving other countries behind. The lead in vaccine supply that western countries have is extensive — three-quarters of the six billion doses administered were given to ten countries. As Alijazeera reporter Nick Dearden comments in his piece about the inequity of COVID vaccinations, “The rich world’s stance is not simply ‘me first’, but ‘me first, second, third and fourth.’”
Although it is important for nations to prioritize their own citizens, other countries seem to differ from the United States by prioritizing shared safety instead of hoarding resources. Honduras is currently sharing the vaccines that they have with their Nicaraguan neighbors, despite being ranked at 137 on the global wealth list and the United States being at number 7. Honduras shows a clear example of the value in looking out for others by using the resources available, even if they may be limited. The moralistic issue of not sharing resources during a time of dire need goes against the principle of beneficence: the moral obligation to help others when one has the ability to do so. The failure to address inequity with vaccines is fundamentally a moral failure.
The potential hoarding of vaccines from developing nations will impact other countries by increasing the disparity between nations. As the wealthy in the West see a decline in COVID cases, those in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas see a continuous rise. While the wealthy nations begin to move towards a future of a more manageable existence with COVID, suffering in the Global South persists. Anger from leaders and citizens in the Global South towards inequality are beginning to rise with the numbers of deaths and cases.
The UN, WHO, and Amnesty International have also shown support for the outcry against inequality and injustice, dubbed the “People’s Vaccine” movement. An extreme point of contention for the movement lies with booster shots being administered in Western nations while countries in the Global South are struggling to access the vaccines to give to their citizens.
Moderna recently stated that in order to address the inequality, they will sell up to 110 million vaccines to Africa, and also stated that they will eventually open a factory to make COVID vaccines in Africa. Yet even this may not be enough to close the widening gap between nations as the West begins a process of recovery while COVID continues to ravage the Global South.
Moderna additionally has committed to selling vaccines to COVAX at a cheaper price of $7 to $10 per shot, in contrast to the $16 to $27 per shot other countries were billed. COVAX, an organization dedicated to the equitable access of COVID vaccines, will play a significant role in attempting to close the equity gap of vaccines. Moderna working with an organization like COVAX is a step in the right direction.
Acknowledging the inequity of health resources in the world is significant, but not enough. Spreading awareness and actively advocating for change, as the "People's Vaccine" website suggests, provides a way for the average person to help the collective in prospectively looking for solutions. The lives lost from unjust structures cannot be recovered, but as the world moves forward, it is imperative that no one is left behind.