Thread by @TomBollyky

Recent US pledge of 2.5 M vaccine doses to Mexico is notable:

-It's the largest single bilateral pledge of doses so far in this crisis

- It's going to a nation in great need

- It came from a democracy

Here's me in @TheAtlantic on why that matters 1/
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

So far, 14 countries have donated a total of 22.5 million doses to 97 nations

Most donations outside of Asia-Pacific have been too small (150k doses or less) to meet local or global demands

2/
thinkglobalhealth.org/article/politi…

Vaccine donations are distributing fewer doses than COVAX (22.5 million v. 32 million) but they are going to more countries (97 v. 60).

Yet, many of those donations are not going to the poorer nations most in need of doses 3/

thinkglobalhealth.org/article/politi…

US & other wealthy democracies have generally opted to give cash, not doses to other nations in this crisis

They've also promised to donate doses once done vaccinating @ home

Yet future doses from COVAX & western donors are cold comfort to nations desperate for vaccines now 4/

US provision of vaccine doses to Mexico is a cautious step toward greater global equity

Making it a loan, that may not need repaying, is politically viable way for a democracy to help at a time when voters may not otherwise support doses going abroad 5/
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

Now the US and its allies need to build on that example and go further

COVAX needs help now -- more than cash

Here's @ChadBown & me on how an initiative - a global operation Warp Speed of sorts - can scale up vaccine manufacturing & supplies quickly 6/
piie.com/blogs/trade-an…

The US & allies can still provide a compelling counternarrative to the token vaccine donations promoting national interests w/out doing nearly enough to bring this pandemic under control

But it can't wait for US to finish vaccinating its citizens first
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

To read more about the data and analysis in this @TheAtlantic piece, please see this fascinating Politics of Vaccine Tracker via @samckiernan @serena_tohme,
@kailey_shanks, Basia Rosenbaum

via @ThinkGlobalHlth and so very worth your time 8/8

thinkglobalhealth.org/article/politi…