Brian Ongoro/AFP via Getty Images This story is part of a group of stories called Finding the best ways to do good.
Early on in the pandemic, global health experts envisioned a nightmare scenario: Covid-19 vaccines are created, but they go almost exclusively to rich countries that can afford to buy them. People in poorer countries are left to get sick and die.
To prevent this, the experts set up an international initiative called Covax, designed to make sure every country in the world gets access to vaccines regardless of its ability to pay. In the fall of 2020, Covax set a clear goal: Buy 2 billion doses and make them available to nations in need before the end of 2021.
Pandemic Action Network is a network of 100+ organizations across sectors from around the globe. The Network drives collective action to help bring an end to COVID-19 and to ensure the world is prepared for the next pandemic. 2021 objectives for the network are:
1. Secure and sustain increased funding for the COVID-19 response and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
2. Strengthen the global health security architecture to better prepare for and respond to naturally occurring and man-made infectious disease threats.
3. Accelerate equitable access to lifesaving tools such as vaccines, testing, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19 and emerging pandemic threats.
Publication Date December 14, 2020 To date, most efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy have been short-term or narrowly focused on a single vaccine. This hasn t paid off. The pandemic represents a tipping point when the world must finally invest and address vaccine hesitancy overall. The success of the global COVID-19 vaccination effort requires widespread acceptance in the population and willingness to be vaccinated. However, in many countries around the world, fewer than 70% of the population plan to get themselves vaccinated, which is less than the threshold for herd immunity. From the Pandemic Action Network, this policy paper explores the issue of vaccine hesitancy - delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability - in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a set of recommendations for a wide range of actors meant to ensure individuals can make decisions based on trustworthy and factual information.
Pandemic Action Network
Pandemic Action Network is a network of 100+ organizations across sectors from around the globe. The Network drives collective action to help bring an end to COVID-19 and to ensure the world is prepared for the next pandemic. 2021 objectives for the network are:
1. Secure and sustain increased funding for the COVID-19 response and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
2. Strengthen the global health security architecture to better prepare for and respond to naturally occurring and man-made infectious disease threats.
3. Accelerate equitable access to lifesaving tools such as vaccines, testing, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19 and emerging pandemic threats.