COVAX Part 2

The worldwide effort to fight COVID-19 has been a collaborative effort of wealthy nations working together to ensure that vaccine profits are distributed equitably and fairly amongst the 9 new billionaires created during this pandemic. In an inspiring act of neocolonialism, the European Union has donated 200 million doses of vaccine to lower income countries. This generous act demonstrates their deep commitment to charity, while they secretly blocked a waiver on intellectual property laws. Such a waiver would actually address vaccine shortages and inequities in a meaningful way, but must be opposed, as it would deprive scientists of any motivation to innovate. The USA has also contributed their part by donating millions of leftover doses through COVAX to countries of strategic interest. These are prime examples of stealing with one hand and giving with the other while satisfying shareholders and maintaining control.

Although wealthy countries donated and committed to COVAX, most purchased enough doses to vaccinate their population several times over, with some richer countries even taking from COVAX. Millions of doses are expiring due to this hoarding while 1% of people in poorer countries are vaccinated. 90% of vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna remain in the arms of the West. And with most of the rest of the world unvaccinated, more and more deadly variants are likely to surface. But the unvaccinated can rest assured that no dividends are lost when vaccines go to waste. And there will be much more wealth to be made for new pandemic billionaires when they start charging non-pandemic prices for these life-saving vaccines. This is an inspiring example of what you can achieve when you are given the incentive to innovate.

As always, please remember: “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.”