Some countries intend to inoculate millions of people a day. So far, most fall short
ON JANUARY 3, the Indian drug regulator approved the emergency use of two covid-19 vaccines, giving the green light to the injection developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, as well as a homemade offer dubbed “Covaxin” by Bharat Biotech , based in Hyderabad. But there was a catch: according to Adar Poonawalla, head of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, approval of the Astrazeneca-Oxford vaccine depended on the company not exporting any dose abroad for several months to prioritize vulnerable Indians, 300 million of which the country expects to vaccinate by July. The serum had already promised 200 million doses for COVAX, a scheme to distribute covid-19 vaccines to poor countries.
Indian officials have denied there was such a ban, claiming that exports to South Asian countries will begin weeks after the vaccine is launched this month. But the saga illustrates governments’ desire to inoculate their own citizens quickly and their concerns that there is not enough vaccine for everyone. Some are more ambitious in their vaccination plans than others (see chart). Britain – which is currently in a third national block amid a record number of coronavirus infections – wants to provide at least one dose of a vaccine to residents and home care workers, frontline health professionals, people with over 70 years old and those considered “extremely vulnerable” to covid-19. That means 13.4 million people, or just under 2 million doses a week (on January 5, Britain administered 1.3 million doses, starting on December 8). The United States wants to immunize 100 million by the end of the first quarter of 2021, in addition to another 100 million by mid-year. China plans to inoculate 50 million frontline workers before the lunar new year next month, the country’s busiest time for travel. Both Germany and France want to vaccinate 12% of their populations, which represents 10 million and 8 million people, respectively.
Although there is no centralized database that records the number of covid-19 vaccines administered worldwide, Our World in Data, an online publication by the University of Oxford, has been monitoring the progress of vaccination campaigns based on government announcements. . These figures suggest that Israel has now reached the largest portion of its population by far, having administered 1.37 million jabs, or 15.83 doses per 100 people, since December 20. (Israel’s success is aided by its relatively small population and land size, as well as by the unique structure of its health system.) The United Arab Emirates comes in second with 8.35 doses per 100 people, followed by Bahrain ( 3.75), America (1.46) and Great Britain (1.39 on December 27).
Most countries in the European Union, where vaccine launches have been extremely slow, generating widespread criticism, are lagging behind. Since many vaccines require two doses, the number of people fully inoculated against covid-19 may be much less than reflected in these numbers, although Britain has started to postpone the second injection to reach a larger number of people, and Europe is considering following suit. The poorest countries face even greater challenges than the rich, and it is estimated that many will not administer enough doses to make a difference by 2022. In the race to vaccinate, the question of who is in front and who is behind will become increasingly more pressing.