[ad_1]
Vulnerable Americans – say, the elderly and those with underlying conditions, to begin with – should they get their third vaccine before people around the world get their first?
I would say yes.
The World Health Organization says no.
Over the past week, Pfizer and Moderna announced they were testing a booster to address the uncertainty of declining antibodies over time. Some reports suggest the booster shots could take place as early as next month, when those of us who have received two doses may be back in line for the third.
“We believe that a dose of three of a booster will likely be necessary to keep us as safe as possible during the winter season in the northern hemisphere,” Dr Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, said at a call for results.
The World Health Organization is not happy. On Wednesday, he called for a moratorium on booster injections in rich countries until at least the end of September.
“I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the delta variant,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, told reporters. “But we cannot – and we must not – accept that countries that have already used up most of the global vaccine supply are using even more, while the world’s most vulnerable people remain unprotected. “
When asked about the matter at the White House, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said: “We believe this is a wrong choice and that we can do both. We will have enough supply to ensure, if the FDA decides that boosters are recommended for a segment of the population, that we supply them as well. “
Supplies are limited. We are talking here about decisions that are in most weeks.
Should Pfizer and Moderna send the extra doses for every American over 65, or should those doses go to even more vulnerable populations in Africa?
Doctors Without Borders has launched a call for proposals for Americans to receive booster shots when only 1% of those living in low-income countries received their unreasonable first dose.
Do we think globally or do we think of ourselves? We are helping, but not at the expense of the Americans who get their injections.
But calling on the United States, along with France and Germany, to put the health of their own citizens on the back burner ignores the reality of democratic politics.
Imagine the Biden administration telling Americans to be patient about boosters being given in other western countries so that we can get more doses in vulnerable low-income countries.
It will not arrive. He shouldn’t either.
You and I have spent billions of dollars to develop these vaccines. We have spent more since to buy more doses.
Vulnerable Americans come first.
To learn more about Susan Estrich and read articles from other Creators Syndicate authors and designers, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
[ad_2]
