NEW YORK | In an attempt to counter the inequalities between countries glaring since the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the UN unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday demanding equity in access to vaccines.
This resolution, which also calls for solidarity and cease-fires in the world to better fight the virus and carry out vaccinations, was co-sponsored by all 15 members of the Security Council, a fact rare.
After barely a week of negotiations, this resolution constitutes a turn for the international community towards a unity often at fault since the outbreak of the pandemic a year ago.
The text “underlines the urgent need for solidarity, equity and efficiency and calls for the donation of doses of vaccine by developed economies and all those able to do so in low and middle income countries or in need”.
Nine out of ten doses
It remains to be seen whether this call will be heard and lead to concrete measures. More than 200 million doses of the vaccine have so far been administered worldwide, but their distribution has been uneven between rich nations who take the lion’s share and poor states who wait.
Some 45% of the injections were given in the rich countries of the G7, which are home to only 10% of the world’s population.
As of February 20, more than nine out of ten doses (92%) have been administered in “high” or “upper middle-income” (as defined by the World Bank) countries.
The upcoming authorization in the United States of a third vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson formula, could increase the number of doses available.
This vaccine was scrutinized, during a hearing in Washington broadcast live on the internet, by a committee of experts (mostly independent scientists), a procedure which should soon lead to an authorization for marketing. American market.
Its authorization is in fact little doubt, the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) having released a series of documents earlier this week, in which it confirmed the effectiveness of this product.
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, injections of which have already started in South Africa, is particularly expected because, unlike the others, it can only be administered in a single dose. It can be stored at refrigerator temperatures, which will greatly facilitate its distribution.
In Canada, the third vaccine authorized on Friday was that of the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, already widely used across the world, starting with the United Kingdom since December, but also in the European Union.
This viral vector vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant, had experienced setbacks in recent weeks, its effectiveness not having been considered sufficiently convincing for the elderly over 65 years of age and in countries where variants circulate.
For its part, Austria is studying the possibility of importing the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, already used in Hungary. The Russian formula is still awaiting the green light from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) before being eventually deployed in all 27 member countries of the European Union.
Initially greeted with skepticism, Sputnik V has since convinced experts of its effectiveness. The specialized medical journal The Lancet has published results according to which it is 91.6% effective.
More than 2.5 million dead
In Asia, Hong Kong and South Korea kicked off their vaccination campaigns on Friday. South Korea plans to vaccinate 70% of its population in the next seven months, while Hong Kong hopes all adults will be vaccinated before the end of the year.
In Israel, the most advanced country in the world in this field, more than half of the population has received at least a first dose of the vaccine, or 4.65 million of its 9.29 million inhabitants.
According to the Department of Health, 35% of the population has already received a second dose of Pfizer / BioNTech with a rate exceeding 85% in people aged 70 and over.
The pandemic has killed more than 2.5 million people worldwide since December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Friday morning. More than 112.9 million cases of contamination have been diagnosed.
The United States is the most bereaved country with 508,314 dead, ahead of Brazil (251,498), Mexico (183,692), India (156,825) and the United Kingdom (122,070).