News Forum - Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality

[Thaiger]

The head of the Red Cross pointed to the Omicron variant as the ultimate evidence that vaccine inequality around the world is a danger to every country globally. The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that much more work is needed to balance the inequality in the global approach to vaccination against the Covid-19 pandemic. According to statistics gathered by the United Nations, while the global vaccination rate average in high-income countries stands at about 65%, the world’s poor countries have a vaccination rate of just over 7%. The World Health Organisation had […]

The story Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Shade_Wilder]

"Low vaccination in poor countries can rapidly spread new variants to wealthy countries, much like the common comparison of a peeing section in the swimming pool: Covid-19 doesn’t care about borders and income and will spread if vaccination rates are not high globally, not just in some countries."

I think that there is a lot of truth in the statement above; in order to beat Covid-19, or at least create a manageable situation, there needs to be vaccination everywhere.

However, let me add two points to the debate.

The issue of 'Vaccine Hesitancy' and the flow/promotion of false information by 'Anti-Vaxxers' also needs to be addressed. Using the metaphor above of humanity being in a swimming pool and thus needing the virus to be fought everywhere simultaneously, we simply don't know if the current variant (Omicron) was the result of lack of vaccine or by people unwilling to take a vaccine. Further, we don't know if the next variant will be caused by lack of vaccine or by lack of people willing to take the vaccine. Finally, in order to either defeat the virus entirely (unlikely in the short term) or to reduce it to manageable levels, we need to introduce some sort of vaccine mandate to raise vaccine rates to a much higher level.

There are people in the world who will fight a vaccine mandate, so what should be done? First, a global recognition that some people can't be vaccinated, the immuno-compromised for one, and so something must be done for them. Second, there must be penalties for those unwilling to get vaccinated; I would prefer that everyone recognize that it is in all our best interests to get a shot, but I don't see that happening, so an inducement/penalty needs to be created (think income taxes; if not mandatory, how many would pay?). This could take the form of MUCH larger health insurance premiums, frequent testing requirements, perhaps ranked access for hospitalization based on vaccine status, restrictions on public participation, etc. I do not know which is best, or which combination is best, but unless dealt with, the Anti-Vaxxers will derail all our efforts at fighting the virus.

Much more simply; if those selfish idiots don't stop believing that horse medicine is for humans and that 'Some Guy On The Internet" is quality information, then stronger measures are needed. Unfortunately.

The second point that I would mention is this; I have spent most of my adult life living in the Third World and agree with the general idea that the Developed World will need to provide vaccines. That said, would a "Thank You" or two be too much to ask? The Rich DO need to help the Poor, but perhaps the Poor might take a moment and acknowledge that they are getting huge amounts of help with the virus for free. 

In other words, stop whining so much, do what you can to get your people vaccinated with donated vaccine, but also say "Thanks' once and a while.

Hmm... is there anyone that I haven't offended? 

[riclag]

The first and second positive Omi cases that I heard reported were from vaccinated individuals, California and Malaysia !

Putting restrictions to stop the spread of the virus shouldn’t  discriminate against unvax  !

Everyone can spread the virus that was first found in China and has subsequently mutated several times!

[Jason]

You haven't offended me. We don't know enough about Omicron yet to understand and hopefully control it. But I think is true that unvaccinated countries are sadly a breeding ground for variants, through no fault of their own. 

China has offered millions of shots of sinopharm to Africa. This will be viewed with cynicism, but at least vaccines will help these nations. What if other nations? What are we doing to contribute to the situation in Africa?  As a global community, we won't overcome this virus without a United effort in every part of the world. Altruistic, but true.

[Cabra]

Vaccine inequities and vaccine hesitancy only makes the pandemic worse. There was a time with the human race could pull together to eradicate viruses (smallpox, polio) but for whatever the reasons (stubborn, selfish, uneducated, ignorance, etc.) we seem incapable. There is nothing to fear from good medicine. You can complain that some people die from medicine, but not nearly as many that die from the disease itself. If only everyone would do there part, we all would benefit. 

[AMc]

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Edited December 4, 2021 by KaptainRob
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[JohninDublin]

2 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

"Low vaccination in poor countries can rapidly spread new variants to wealthy countries, much like the common comparison of a peeing section in the swimming pool: Covid-19 doesn’t care about borders and income and will spread if vaccination rates are not high globally, not just in some countries."

I think that there is a lot of truth in the statement above; in order to beat Covid-19, or at least create a manageable situation, there needs to be vaccination everywhere.

However, let me add two points to the debate.

The issue of 'Vaccine Hesitancy' and the flow/promotion of false information by 'Anti-Vaxxers' also needs to be addressed. Using the metaphor above of humanity being in a swimming pool and thus needing the virus to be fought everywhere simultaneously, we simply don't know if the current variant (Omicron) was the result of lack of vaccine or by people unwilling to take a vaccine. Further, we don't know if the next variant will be caused by lack of vaccine or by lack of people willing to take the vaccine. Finally, in order to either defeat the virus entirely (unlikely in the short term) or to reduce it to manageable levels, we need to introduce some sort of vaccine mandate to raise vaccine rates to a much higher level.

There are people in the world who will fight a vaccine mandate, so what should be done? First, a global recognition that some people can't be vaccinated, the immuno-compromised for one, and so something must be done for them. Second, there must be penalties for those unwilling to get vaccinated; I would prefer that everyone recognize that it is in all our best interests to get a shot, but I don't see that happening, so an inducement/penalty needs to be created (think income taxes; if not mandatory, how many would pay?). This could take the form of MUCH larger health insurance premiums, frequent testing requirements, perhaps ranked access for hospitalization based on vaccine status, restrictions on public participation, etc. I do not know which is best, or which combination is best, but unless dealt with, the Anti-Vaxxers will derail all our efforts at fighting the virus.

Much more simply; if those selfish idiots don't stop believing that horse medicine is for humans and that 'Some Guy On The Internet" is quality information, then stronger measures are needed. Unfortunately.

The second point that I would mention is this; I have spent most of my adult life living in the Third World and agree with the general idea that the Developed World will need to provide vaccines. That said, would a "Thank You" or two be too much to ask? The Rich DO need to help the Poor, but perhaps the Poor might take a moment and acknowledge that they are getting huge amounts of help with the virus for free. 

In other words, stop whining so much, do what you can to get your people vaccinated with donated vaccine, but also say "Thanks' once and a while.

Hmm... is there anyone that I haven't offended? 

I would not inflict financial penalties on the refuseniks, but I would certainly impose segregation upon them in places such as shops, restaurants, bars etc. And before people start telling me about their civil liberties being violated, there is already such a scheme operating in many parts of the world with smoking bans. Much of the reason for those is the evidence of passive smoking consequences.

It takes an estimated 20-40 years for passive smoking to develop into a smoking related cancer. Yet you can be infected by CV and be dead in days. Has anyone noticed that there are very few  people calling for the rights of smokers to to pollute the air of others to be defended. Given the comparative risks that the unvaxxed pose in relation to that of passive smoking, I think it is criminally negligent not to have such measures.

As to the issue of vax inequality, I get the point that is being made, but I would add, that the UK has had more infections than the entire continent of Africa. In fact yesterday, the UK had an infection rate that was 60X that of Africa. So lets assume that there is a world wide vax plan? How sensible when it comes to allocation of resources, is it to give the countries with the least serious problems equal resources with those that have the most serious issues?

[JohninDublin]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

But I think is true that unvaccinated countries are sadly a breeding ground for variants, through no fault of their own. 

China has offered millions of shots of sinopharm to Africa. This will be viewed with cynicism, but at least vaccines will help these nations. What if other nations? What are we doing to contribute to the situation in Africa?  As a global community, we won't overcome this virus without a United effort in every part of the world. Altruistic, but true.

The problem we are seeing in many highly-vaxxed countries, is that too many vaxxed people are wearing their underpants outside their trousers. Vaxxing is part of the armoury, but as soon as people start thinking, "I've been vaxxed! I'm bullet proof", then we start undoing any good work that vaxxing does.

I have no complaints about altruism, but as I've already stated in this thread, where is the sense in allocating what many would consider to be "equitable resources" to Africa when the UK has 60X the infection rate of Africa. This is firefighting. Resources must be allocated according to the gravity of the fire in each area.

[Guest1]

What a BS! Science is not even knowing, if it is from South Africa, these days. It got detected there, as a new variant, first. But that's it. Even the neighbour countries aren't the origin country, for certain. There's was the idea, it could have been grown in one of the many HIV positives, somewhere in Africa. Or in one of the cancer treatment receiving people somewhere in the world. And then flown around, also to SA. Or that it jumped from the human back to animals (some mouse parts found in it) and later back to the humans. Right now, we just know that we know nothing.

The equality of the vaccine is one thing. But to give all countries request doses will just end up with a lot more unvaccinated people in every country. In case unvaccinated people are the reason for mutations, how would that change a thing? I would assume, it would make it even more possible, that we get new mutations from every area of the world, not only from Africa, India, Asia, South America.  And GB ;-)

[Stonker]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:53 PM, JohninDubin said:

This is firefighting. Resources must be allocated according to the gravity of the fire in each area.

Hardly "firefighting".

If you're firefighting you lock up or isolate the arsonists - you don't keep sending all your resources to help those who keep on setting light to their own homes.

[Stonker]

20 hours ago, Guest1 said:

Or that it jumped from the human back to animals (some mouse parts found in it) and later back to the humans

Where on earth did you get that from?

"mouse parts"?

What part ?

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

Where on earth did you get that from?

"mouse parts"?

What part ?

Your google not working?

 

https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/-you-dirty-rat-experts-posit-that-omicron-hatched-in-rodents

[Stonker]

6 hours ago, Guest1 said:

Your google not working?

https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/-you-dirty-rat-experts-posit-that-omicron-hatched-in-rodents

Google wouldn't have helped me since your link doesn't say there were "some mouse parts found in it", but that some similar mutations had been found in infected animals, which isn't surprising.

Hardly the same thing !

[HiuMak]

On 12/4/2021 at 2:04 PM, Thaiger said:

The head of the Red Cross pointed to the Omicron variant as the ultimate evidence that vaccine inequality around the world is a danger to every country globally. The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that much more work is needed to balance the inequality in the global approach to vaccination against the Covid-19 pandemic. According to statistics gathered by the United Nations, while the global vaccination rate average in high-income countries stands at about 65%, the world’s poor countries have a vaccination rate of just over 7%. The World Health Organisation had […]

The story Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Rich countries are taking 3rd or booster shots and talking about yearly shots while these poor countries are still far from reaching a  good ratio of vaccinated population. Mankind is really showing its true self here and this is the opportunity for the virus to mutate.

In contrast, what do these poorer countries do? corruption, disregard, ignorance? God helps those who help themselves. Pray for the best for these countries