Vaccines To Be Donated By G7 Nations Should Ease Supply Challenges

The pledge to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries in need by leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations has sparked renewed confidence and hope at the prospect of overcoming the supply challenges being experienced by many territories, says Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (June 16), Dr. Etienne said in light of the fact that less than one in 10 persons across Latin America and the Caribbean has, to date, been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the G7-pledged doses “cannot come soon enough”.

The Group comprises the world’s seven largest industrialised countries – Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Dr. Etienne pointed out that within the region, while vaccine arrival has been slow, the uptake by residents has not.

The Director said this was evident in the approximately 140,000 citizens of Manaus, Brazil, who were vaccinated over the past weekend.

“It’s easy to see why [the uptake has not been slow]… because vaccines work. More than two billion doses have been administered around the world [and] in places where vaccine coverage has been high, like some US states, the United Kingdom, and Israel, there has been a dramatic reduction in COVID-related hospitalisations and deaths,” she pointed out.

Against the background of the challenges being experienced by a number of countries in securing vaccines, Dr. Etienne expressed the hope that the G7 nations will prioritise doses for those territories deemed at greatest risk, “especially those in Latin America that have not yet had access to enough vaccines to even protect the most vulnerable”.

“So, we urge the G7 countries not to delay their donations. We need the vaccines now [as] throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, people are eager for a chance to get vaccinated,” she said.

Additionally, Dr. Etienne said that consequent on the prospect of additional doses materialising, PAHO member countries must remain cognisant of the importance of undertaking communication campaigns to maintain trust in vaccines.

“Having clear and transparent information about when doses are or aren’t available and consistent guidance about who’s eligible for vaccination is key to increasing confidence in our vaccination programmes,” she emphasised.