Vaccine Nationalism: What Is It and How Is It Playing Out During COVID-19? Jacqui Germain s 2021 . In many parts of the United States, the newly vaccinated are making summer vacation plans and reuniting with loved ones. According to the most recent data, 32.1% of Americans are fully vaccinated and 45% have received at least one dose. But a very different story is playing out elsewhere in the world, where COVID-19 variants are raging and dozens of countries are still reporting vaccination rates in the single digits. On Wednesday, after months of mounting pressure, President Biden’s administration announced it would support the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver, a proposal cosponsored by at least 60 other countries that would temporarily suspend the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines. News of U.S. support is significant, but the obvious disparity in global vaccine access has already had a dramatic impact on the poorest countries.