Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : June 2, 2021 12:53 PM IST
Image credits by: India could have 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines available per day in July and August, says govt.
Experts around the world suggest that 70% of the global population need to be vaccinated to end the current Covid-19 pandemic. Many have also expressed that the approved vaccines are effective enough to end the pandemic, despite the emergence of more infectious variants of the virus. But much of the world is still struggling to secure enough supply of vaccine to protect its people from the deadly virus, especially poorer countries. And global vaccine inequality continues to undermine efforts to end the pandemic. A recent Forbes India report stated that of the total vaccine doses administered globally, only 0.3% have been given in the 29 poorest countries, which are home to about 9% of the world's population. Meanwhile, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that low vaccination rates in some countries is dangerous for everyone as "it would hold the global recovery back."
The IMF chief made the statement during a press conference on Tuesday. She was joined by the heads of the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Together, they discussed on a new joint call for scaling up equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. Georgieva also noted that while countries with rapid vaccinations are coming out of the crisis faster, those with low vaccination rates are falling further behind.
The IMF chief reiterated that fact that "we are not going to succeed in overcoming the economic crisis this pandemic triggered, unless we bring the pandemic to a durable end."
According to Georgieva IMF staff have put forward a proposal of a $50 billion-dollar plan to end the pandemic. The plan includes vaccinating at least 40 per cent of the population in all countries by end of 2021, and at least 60 per cent by the first half of 2022, providing additional upfront grants to COVAX, the WHO-led international campaign for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world.
The global initiative started by the WHO, along with Gavi, aims to deliver 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.
Researchers at Duke University estimated that about 11 billion shots are needed to vaccinate 70% of the world's population, the rough percentage needed to achieve herd immunity. However, so far, only a small fraction of this estimated target has been produced, just 1.7 billion doses as per the analytics firm Airfinity estimation.
Some health experts have suggested the current shortage of vaccines can be overcome if drug giants are persuaded to relax their grip on their secrets and enlist many more manufacturers in making vaccines.
India is the world's second worst-hit country in terms of infections. The country has been battling the disastrous second wave since April and some health experts have already warned of the possibility of the third wave. The only way to prevent another surge is mass vaccination of its 1.3 billion people, they said.
Allaying concerns about vaccine shortage, government advisor V K Paul on Tuesday assured that India could have 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines available per day in July and August, compared with just under three million now.
With inputs from agencies
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
