Pope: "COVID-19 Vaccines Should Not Be Exclusive to Wealthy Countries"... Spread Remains Steady

"Vaccine Hoarding Causes Inequality"... WHO Also Warns of Vaccine Nationalism
Global COVID-19 Spread Continues... Over 200,000 New Cases Daily

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Pope Francis emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccine should not become the exclusive property of certain countries or the wealthy. With the COVID-19 vaccine expected to appear by the end of this year or early next year, he expressed concern that hoarding by some advanced countries such as the United States and Europe could cause significant inequality. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide continues to surge, increasing by more than 200,000 daily.

According to the Associated Press on the 19th (local time), Pope Francis said during his general audience homily, "How sad it would be if the priority for the COVID-19 vaccine is given to the wealthiest people," adding, "It would be sad if the COVID-19 vaccine becomes the exclusive property of this country or other countries, rather than being universal and for everyone." He further pointed out that "the global COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the difficult conditions of the poor and global inequality."

The Pope emphasized, "The response to COVID-19 must proceed in two sectors," stating, "We must find a cure for the COVID-19 virus, and on the other hand, we must cure the virus of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, disregard for the vulnerable, and lack of protection." This is interpreted as criticism of concerns that low-income countries may be marginalized as some countries in the U.S. and Europe preemptively secure hundreds of millions of vaccine candidates, with the vaccine expected to be developed as early as the end of this year.

Earlier, on the previous day, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), also warned, "We must prevent vaccine nationalism," stating, "It is a misconception to think that COVID-19 will end if only some countries vaccinate their own citizens." He emphasized that global herd immunity can eradicate COVID-19, and a plan is needed to pre-supply vaccines to 20% of the global population and then distribute them sequentially according to each country's situation. He said, "The fastest way to end the pandemic and restart the economy begins with protecting the highest-risk populations in all regions of the world, not the entire population of a few countries," adding, "Strategically sharing limited supplies worldwide aligns with the national interests of each country."

The spread of COVID-19 continues to rage worldwide. Although the spread in the Americas has somewhat slowed, the spread is increasing mainly in South Asia, including India, and the Middle East, with more than 200,000 new confirmed cases daily.

According to the global statistics site Worldometer's COVID-19 tally, as of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide reached 22,524,774, an increase of 227,321 from the previous day. The global cumulative death toll is 789,108, approaching 800,000. In India, where the daily increase in confirmed cases is the strongest recently, 69,196 new cases were reported, pushing the daily confirmed cases close to 70,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.