EFE.- Amnesty International (AI) today accused rich countries and pharmaceutical companies of preventing “fair vaccination” by ignoring calls to facilitate the immunization of at least 40% of the population of low- and middle-income states in 2021.
In a statement issued on the last day of the year, the human rights organization regrets that these governments and companies “have ignored” requests from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) to donate enough vaccines to developing countries.
“Despite the fact that the world has produced around 11 billion vaccine doses, only 7% of the population in low-income countries have received a first dose,” said Agnès Callamard, AI secretary general.
“Why are the poorest countries denied access to life-saving drugs while the rich hoard piles of unused vaccines?”
Callamard argues that “rich countries and pharmaceutical companies have failed catastrophically by failing to guarantee equitable access to vaccines.”
As the omicron variant has shown, “not vaccinating everyone – regardless of where they live – makes the entire world population vulnerable to new variants,” says the activist, adding: “The only way to break this circle vicious is guaranteeing that all people have access to vaccines ”.
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AI criticizes that rich countries have systematically failed to fulfill their promises to donate vaccines, and recalls that last June the G7 pledged to send 1 billion doses in 2021, which has not happened.
Pharmaceutical companies “have not been up to the task,” AI reproaches.
Thus, it denounces that the American Pfizer “has misleadingly stated that its vaccine would be ‘available to any patient, country and community that seeks to access it’, when, in reality, it has delivered the vast majority of its vaccines to income countries. highs and mid-highs ”.
Its rival, Moderna, has also prioritized sales to rich countries, despite receiving public aid.
Amnesty also considers it “serious” that manufacturers such as Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson “have refused to support measures that would temporarily lift the protection of intellectual property and share vaccine technology” with other firms, in order to allow “an increase of global production ”.
Through their actions and omissions, “manufacturers have ended up harming the human rights of the billions of people who lack access to the Covid-19 vaccine, or have contributed to that harm,” which contravenes their obligations, maintains the organization based in London.
Callarmard notes that many poor countries where the majority of the population has not yet been vaccinated “have difficulties” in fighting omicron.
“Unless drastic measures are taken now, Covid19 will continue to wreak havoc for years to come. The key question is what will happen if large parts of the world remain unvaccinated, “he warned.
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