Thread by @MonicaGandhi9

UCSF's Monica Gandhi says there are five ways the U.S. can help end the global COVID nightmare for good sfchronicle.com/opinion/openfo… via @sfchronicle

5 ways here in my opinion:
1) Donate surplus doses & buy doses for other countries, we need 11 billion (thank you to President Biden for 500 million, so sorry need more G7!)
2) Decide on best STRATEGY on how to allocate doses worldwide: We can delay vax of those with previous

infection in global settings, since immunity from natural infection associated with low rates of re-infection. Once supplies increase, single dose of a 2-dose regimen can be given to those with previous infection to boost responses.
Other strategy includes "ring vaccination"

Give fast to countries with current surges which can have immediate impact on controlling spread & disease. Where not surging, focus on 1st vax'ing healthcare workers, vulnerable populations (older, those with co-morbidities).
3) Waive patents temporarily
time.com/6046096/india-…

4) Encourage increase in manufacturing by voluntary licensing
5) Encourage philanthropy (I live in Bay Area for right now!). The five Big Tech companies — Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook — had a combined income of $1.2 trillion during pandemic nytimes.com/2021/04/29/tec…

Even a $25 billion investment (just 2% of that revenue) for Moderna doses (a patent currently held by the US government) would massively boost supplies for the world
citizen.org/article/25-bil…

U.N. Secretary General said in Feb that “vaccine equity is the biggest moral test before the global community” at this time. This blueprint could help U.S. to reassert itself as a global health leader to help end the pandemic. We now face this moral test
un.org/press/en/2021/…

My ongoing goal in this pandemic is to work on global vax equity. No more articles on school openings or variants for me, please see previous work on those & contact me by email if you need help with those. US, we can reassert as global health leader with these 5 steps!