Africa ’s COVID-19 Vaccine Problem Is More Than Just a Shortage of Doses

The emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, which was first detected in South Africa and other southern African nations, is casting a harsh new spotlight on vaccine inequality. For months, health experts have warned that low vaccination rates in the developing world make it more likely for dangerous new mutations to form as the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads unchecked. So far, just 7.3% of Africans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared to 58% in both the U.S. and Europe, where booster shots are now being offered widely. Meanwhile, just 12% of the 1.9 billion doses promised to low and middle income countries had been delivered as of early November. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] But in order to improve Africa’s vaccination rate, it will take more than just a flood of COVID-19 vaccine doses. A lack of coordination on vaccine shipments, weak health infrastructure and vaccine hesitancy sowed by mistrust and misinformation are already slowing vaccination efforts when doses are available, African health experts say. Even South Africa, which has one of the highest vaccination rates on the continent with 24% of its population fully vaccinated, is struggling to get more shots into arms. While South African scientists rattled the world last week with their identification of the new Omicron variant, health officials in the country were telling U.S. drug manufacturers to delay delivery of more vaccine doses because demand is not strong enough, and they are co...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 News overnight Second click South Africa Source Type: news