Covid-19 vaccines are being hoarded by rich countries — poor ones are missing out

An increasing number of coronavirus vaccines progress through clinical trials, wealthy countries are feeding an exceptional gap in access around the world, putting claim to more than half the doses that could come on the demand by the end of next year.

While many poor nations may be capable to vaccinate at most 20% of their populations in 2021, some of the world’s richest nations have saved enough to immunize their own multiple times over, the New York time reports.

Other wealthy nations joined the United States in placing large preorders, often with alternatives to increase the deals and procure even more — undermining many nations ’ ability to make timely purchases.

The United States has secured 100 million doses from Pfizer, with the option of buying 500 million more, and 200 million from Moderna, with an additional 300 million on offer. It has also preordered 810 million doses from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Sanofi combined; expansion deals could push that number to 1.5 billion.

Britain has claimed 357 million doses from all of those companies, along with a small company, Valneva, with options to buy 152 million more

The European Union has secured 1.3 billion from most of the same companies, as well as the German company CureVac; it can have another 660 million doses if it chooses.