BVI News

47 high-income countries hog COVID-19 vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 30 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been administered in 47 mostly high-income countries.

WHO said this fact exposes glaring inequalities in access to this life-saving tool.

This revelation was made on January 15 as more than 2,800 scientists from 130 countries gathered in a virtual forum hosted by WHO to identify knowledge gaps and set research priorities for vaccines against COVID-19.

They discussed the safety and efficacy of existing vaccines and new candidates, ways to optimize limited supply, and the need for additional safety studies.

“The development and approval of several safe and effective vaccines less than a year after this virus was isolated and sequenced is an astounding scientific accomplishment,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, in his opening remarks.

“The approval of the first few vaccines does not mean the job is done. Far from it. More vaccines are in the pipeline, which must be evaluated to ensure we have enough doses to vaccinate everyone,” Dr Ghebreyesus said.

Experts agreed the need for critical research on administering vaccines in different target populations, as well as on vaccination delivery strategies and schedules. This includes trials, modelling and observational studies — all of which would help to inform policy.

They discussed the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants on the efficacy of vaccines, the impact of vaccines on transmission of infection, and the need to develop the next generation of vaccine platforms.

The BVI and other British Overseas Territories have been able to secure thousands of vaccine doses – free of cost – from the United Kingdom.

However, independent Caribbean countries that don’t have the safety net of a mother country are not as lucky. Recently, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said its members were ill-equipped to compete with developed countries for acquisition of adequate quantities of the vaccination.

CARICOM called on WHO to establish an arrangement under which access to the vaccination is not based on wealth and affluence, but on the recognition that COVID-19 represents a global challenge — a circumstance that ought to remove such discriminatory factors as affordability from the distribution equation.

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19 Comments

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  1. Black Nationalist says:

    By all means please do go ahead and hog it all. This the ONE time I hope the CLEARS really get what they looking for.

    Like 2
    Dislike 5
  2. Voter says:

    …. and if the BVI becomes independent?
    The UK to the rescue again. Just imagine how much better it could be if we worked together for the common good of all in the BVI

    Like 20
    Dislike 1
    • 30 says:

      30 thousand people and 4000 x 2 vaccines. 26 thousand persons NO vaccines. And they say they love and care

      Like 3
      Dislike 3
      • Rubber Duck says:

        Cretins like you don’t frankly deserve to have the UK looking after them. Only 10% of the UK will have had the first shot when they sent us enough for a first shot for 25% of us.

        Go crawl back under your stone

        Like 7
        Dislike 1
  3. Informed says:

    We need to know asap what is the government plan to reopen the borders once the vaccine has been distributed. We have 8000 vaccines coming and 30,000 people. Are the rest coming.

    For those who don’t want to take it. Are we opening up anyway or still requiring the Quarenteen.

    We need a plan and communicated. once were vaccinated COVID is not going anywhere were just better prepared to fight it. So it will become like the common cold and we build immunity.

    Please can you the media investigate this and get answers as the economy is collapsing around us. Places closing. The USA new 14 quarenteen has cancelled what ever bookings were left. The USVI is having the best season ever and were sat here counting Pennys.

    I look forward to an answer on this pressing issue.

    Like 10
    Dislike 2
    • @Informed says:

      What we need to do is send your illiterate a** to school. “Quarantine”, really. Maybe invest in a spell checker app or just a third grade reading and spelling book. On you want to have self rule and independence. Lmfao

      Like 5
      Dislike 1
    • Population Count? says:

      Do we really still have 30,000 people here? Soooo many people have left in the past year. I think it’d be interesting to see who many people are left….I would imagine *someone* SHOULD know this number?

  4. @Informed says:

    Are you blind? The ‘PLAN’ is to keep everyone scared and bring businesses to their knees. Once that is accomplished then everyone will be heavily reliant on the Government, this is their only ‘PLAN’. There was absolutely no reason to shut down the entire world because of a flu. Look at the reporting and it’s clear! First it was that a vaccine would take years and years, but once it became available all will be well. The vaccine is here now but all you hear is even if you take the vaccine you still need to wear masks and there’s no surety you will be protected. Then they came with ‘new variant’, as if this is not a common trait of the flu, to have varying strains and strengths. It’s all a game that will never ever end so you either wise up and deal with it or be a sheep and keep breathing in your waste with your mask on.

    Like 9
    Dislike 4
  5. Waiting list says:

    If the BVI stopped picking fights with the UK and EU they would be higher up the waiting list

    Like 14
    Dislike 3
  6. Resident says:

    They can hog it because I am not taking it, i will take the nose tests every time.

    Like 3
    Dislike 7

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