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Nearly half of doses administered so far have gone to high-income countries — just 16 percent of the world’s population. The globe is quickly being split into coronavirus vaccine “haves” and “have-nots,” creating a gap that may define the next phase of the pandemic. Using publicly available figures from Our World in Data, The Washington Post found that nearly half — 48 percent — of all vaccine doses administered so far have gone to just 16 percent of the world’s population in what the World Bank considers high-income countries. Through the summer and fall of last year, wealthy nations cut deals directly with vaccine-makers, buying up a disproportionate share of early doses — and undermining a World Health Organization-backed effort, called Covax, to equitably distribute shots. So now, in a small number of relatively wealthy nations, including the United States, doses are relatively plentiful and mass immunization campaigns are progressing apace. But much of the world is still struggling to secure enough supply. For many, herd immunity is many months — if not years — away, which could extend the crisis. A team at Duke University’s Global Health Innovation Center found that high-income countries locked up 53 percent of near-term vaccine supply. They estimate that the world’s poorest 92 countries will not be able to reach a vaccination rate of 60 percent of their populations until 2023 or later.
Israel has so far immunized the largest number of people per capita. As of April 19, nearly 60 percent of Israelis had received at least one dose and nearly 58 percent were fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data. Though Israel was later than some countries to sign vaccine deals, it offered to pay premium prices and give drug companies access to its health-care data. The country reportedly spent $788 million on coronavirus vaccines by March, most notably on a large shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech’s RNA vaccine. While Israel has been criticized for neglecting the Palestinian population in its midst, its vaccination campaign has otherwise been deemed a success and has allowed the return of a more normal way of life, including the lifting of outdoor mask requirements.
Britain is another country leading the way. Between developing, buying and administering vaccines, the country will spend about $16 billion, according to a National Audit Office estimate. To stretch supply as far as possible, Britain opted to space doses by several months, meaning that while nearly 50 percent of the country has had at least one shot, just over 16 percent is fully vaccinated. The campaign was set back this month when concerns about rare blood clots in people receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine led the government to restrict use in adults under 30. Still, early studies in Britain show significant reductions in infections and hospitalizations after a first dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. And the country has been able to slowly begin lifting its lockdown.
The United States, after experiencing one of the world’s most deadly outbreaks, is now the envy of the world with its abundant vaccine supply and rapidly progressing inoculation campaign. The country spent billions on vaccine development, deals and distribution. About 41 percent of U.S. residents have received at least one dose and more than 26 percent are fully vaccinated. As of this week, all Americans over the age of 18 are eligible to get a shot — a milestone that may renew questions about what the country plans to do with its predicted hundreds of millions of surplus doses. The Biden administration faces growing calls from public health advocates and activists to share, either by donating doses to countries in need, transferring technology to boost manufacturing capacity, or by easing export restrictions that have kept a disproportionate number of shots, as well as critical vaccine materials, in the United States.......
