United States Increases Vaccine Aid

Across the world, leaders of nations and international organizations are continuously pointing out the inequity between developed and underdeveloped nations when it comes to COVID vaccine availability. In regards to this, the Biden administration has begun to greatly increase the number of vaccines to nations that have yet to receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The administration will also increase spending for the organizations providing access to vaccines in these nations.

These donations come in light of criticism from various nations about how the Biden administration is providing boosters to vaccinated Americans, as less than half of the population of the world remains unvaccinated. With the new vaccinations on the way, this means that the United States has sent over a billion vaccinations to countries in need. Currently, the United States is the leading distributor of COVID-19 vaccination aid compared to any other nation. The United Nations wishes that wealthier nations would step up the amount of aid being given to the developing nations, seeing as the wealth gap are making these populations in desperate need of vaccination.

Despite this massive increase in aid, it is not close to what the United Nations and the global community are attempting to reach by next September. The United Nation’s goal is to have at least 70% of the global population vaccinated, despite various under-developed nations having less than a three percent vaccination rate. As time progresses, the United Nations and World Health Organization hope to reach these goals.

In light of this, the United Nations has begun its meeting of the general assembly. Vaccination inequity is one of the topics at its forefront. Various nations from Africa stated their concerns, most of which having to do with a majority of their nations’ populations still not receiving a single dose of the COVID vaccine. 

Some African foreign officials are worried that developed nations are not going to fulfill their promises of sending vaccines to the nations in need, creating further inequities. This pandemic has proven challenging for African nations, specifically those within the eastern portion of the continent.

African officials continue to stress the message to other nations within the United Nations General Assembly that the world is not safe until everyone is fully vaccinated.