U.K’s former Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided to send politicians Airfinity’s latest research regarding the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses to expire soon. According to the investigation, there are currently over 100 m about-to-expire doses stockpiled by western countries, while other emergent countries struggle to provide doses for their population.
When will most doses expire?
Airfinity’s forecast for 2021 and 2022 predicts that the Covid-19 doses will expire by December and that actions need to be taken to make sure the world uses those first so that they do not end up expired and wasted. Gordon Brown sent the reports to many world leaders such as U.S President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, EU leaders, and more. The same research predicts that by the end of September, there will be around seven billion Covid-19 vaccine doses available worldwide, and the numbers will reach 12bn by December.
What could be done to prevent a possible disaster?
Gordon Brown is adamant that one way to avoid the situation is to rethink Covid-19 vaccines’ distribution. The world is deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and we cannot afford to lose Covid-19 vaccine doses. Creating a plan could be the key to decide in which countries the soon–to–expire doses could be sent and, thus, prevent the loss of perfectly eligible Covid-19 vaccine doses.
Humanitarian Organisation and the WHO believe booster vaccine programs should be paused
As many countries have not gathered enough doses to vaccinate essential health workers and immunocompromised people, the WHO and other health organizations, such as Global Justice Now, want rich countries to pause their booster vaccination programs. By pausing booster vaccine programs, poorer countries would get enough doses to vaccinate with a first and second dose their population. The priority is to offer full vaccination to all, and afterwards start booster campaigns.
