Bourla is causing vaccine apartheid. This is a shameful drop-in-the-bucket attempt to give Pfizer the cover of altruism as the crisis deepens and as critiques against them intensify.
If Pfizer really cared they'd free the vaccine IP and production process know-how.
I do think that Pfizer taking "action" means the #PeoplesVaccine campaign is on the winning path!
People are understanding their greed and the pressure is building on them! 2/
But – given how inadequate Pfizer's step is and how much they're still driving vaccine apartheid – we must name and shame their effort as disingenuously seeking altruistic cover for their greed. 3/
The current vaccination effort focused on elders & health workers won't protect us from a surge. They are not the biggest drivers of spread, they were prioritized bc they are most at risk of exposure or severe COVID-19.
People most likely to spread are likely still unvaccinated.
Here's my experience with patients and loved ones:
Most common: concern about adverse effects
– Most of these people opt for vaccination once they have perspective on risks vs. benefits for vaccination vs. not
– Rest have mostly stated a preference for vaccination, after seeing more safety data from real world use.
"The EU, US and UK make up only 10.8% of the global population but have given 50% of all vaccinations.
In contrast, Africa makes up 17.2% of the world in population but only 1.5% of vaccinations"
"COVAX is on track to achieve only about a quarter of its aimed vaccinations this year, which would amount to vaccinating a maximum of 5% in any one country."
Tomorrow as the WTO meets to discuss the #TRIPSWaiver, we will be taking it to the pharmaceutical industry with a series of protests throughout the US.
There are high levels of uncontrolled transmission in the US, UK, EU, Brazil, and elsewhere that are increasingly exposed to people who are vaccinated.
If we vaccinated 5 billion or so people instantly, like flicking a switch, the pandemic would likely end in a flash.
1/ Here's four things I hope everyone will connect with to better understand MLK:
– His concerns about white moderates
– Not just his dream but his nightmare
– Not just anti-racism but interconnectedness and anti-oppression
– Not just persuasion but organizing disruptive action