The announcement that the U.S. would pursue booster shots disappointed some advocates who hoped that the country’s vaccine surplus — including additional deals to purchase 400 million doses this summer — could be directed to global donations. The World Health Organization doubled down yesterday on its call for a moratorium on booster shots until more people around the world have received first doses.
- While more than half of Americans are fully vaccinated, fewer than 3 percent of people in Africa have been vaccinated.
- Covax, an initiative backed by the World Health Organization aimed at equitable vaccine access, recently downgraded its projected vaccine supply for 2021 by more than a quarter.
“Unfortunately, it feels like global vaccine access and equity has always been a bit of a back-burner issue for the administration. In June and July, there was a feeling of ‘Mission accomplished. We can start doing vaccines around the world,’ ” said Rachel Silverman, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development. “Now we’re having a secondary surge at home. There’s this talk about boosters.”
