- Pope Francis said on Friday that “most vulnerable and needy” populations should get a coronavirus vaccine first.
- “I ask everyone – government officials, companies, international organizations – to encourage cooperation and not competition, and seek a solution for everyone: vaccines for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all regions of the planet,” he said. at your annual Christmas address. “First of all: the most vulnerable and needy!”
- Rich countries have purchased most of the available coronavirus vaccine supply, while poor countries are struggling to get supplies.
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In his Christmas address on Friday, Pope Francis urged the wealthy to back off and allow “most vulnerable and needy” populations to get a coronavirus vaccine first.
“I cannot put myself in front of others, letting the law of the market and patents take precedence over the law of love and health of humanity,” he said, according to the transcript of his speech at the Vatican.
“I ask everyone – government officials, companies, international organizations – to promote cooperation and not competition, and seek a solution for everyone: vaccines for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all regions of the planet”, he added . “First of all: the most vulnerable and needy!”
His comments come just before reports from wealthy countries buying most of the available stock of vaccine against coronavirus. The least affluent countries are “fighting for supplies,” reported Sinéad Baker, of Business Insider.
These wealthy countries have purchased enough vaccines to allow their residents to receive more than the required dosage for immunity. Other countries, on the other hand, are struggling to immunize enough of their population and contain the virus. If the trend continues, these struggling countries will have to wait years to get mass vaccination, according to World Health Organization estimates.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 79 million people, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The United States, with at least 18,600,000, is the country that leads with the largest number of confirmed cases of coronavirus.
In his speech, the Pope emphasized his belief that the vaccine should be available to those who need it.
“Today, in this time of darkness and uncertainty regarding the pandemic, there are several lights of hope, such as the discovery of vaccines. But for these lights to illuminate and bring hope to everyone, they need to be available to everyone, ”he said. .
Pope Francis also said that he hopes the holiday season will encourage people “to be generous, supportive and helpful, especially to those who are vulnerable, the sick, the unemployed or experiencing difficulties due to the economic effects of the pandemic and women who suffered domestic violence during those months of confinement. “
“Faced with a challenge that knows no borders, we cannot build walls. We are all in the same boat, ”he continued. “Anyone else is my brother or sister.”
The Pope’s Christmas address is usually delivered to a crowd of tens of thousands of people who gather in St. Peter’s Square.