Last week, we held our open forum on vaccine distribution. In the span of 45 minutes, we shared experiences with Covid-19 vaccination programs, discussed local and global vaccine inequality, and considered vaccine inequality as a social justice issue. In our small group, we contrasted vaccine rollouts in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and India; it was eye-opening to consider our own experiences in a global context.
Vaccine distribution is a social justice issue. One way to support the equitable distribution of vaccines is by donating to Gavi COVAX AMC via the Go Give One campaign.
The inequitable global distribution of vaccines was a focal point of our conversation. With countries prioritising local herd immunity through vaccination drives, a divide between vaccination rates has emerged between developing and developed countries. Moreover, a joint COVAX statement this month warns that measures “that only [allow] people protected by a subset of WHO-approved vaccines to benefit from the re-opening of travel into and with that region would effectively create a two-tier system, further widening the global vaccine divide and exacerbating the inequities we have already seen in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. It would negatively impact the growth of economies that are already suffering the most”.
In light of discussions that have emerged during and after our open forum, we plan to continue highlighting vaccine distribution as a social justice issue – starting with our New Global Normal team going live on Instagram this Sunday.
Vaccine distribution is a social justice issue. The pandemic isn’t under control anywhere until it is under control everywhere – the Delta variant demonstrates this. Ensuring the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations is vital to our global recovery. One way to support the is by donating to Gavi COVAX AMC’s Go Give One campaign.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with the movement, and to register for future open forums!