Vaccine Dilemma: "Vaccines Rejected by Developed Countries Are Scarce in Developing Countries"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] As both developed and developing countries face significant obstacles in COVID-19 response due to sluggish vaccine uptake, a new study suggests the need for revised vaccine distribution strategies.

An international research team led by the Yale University Global Health Institute in the United States reported on the 19th in Nature Medicine that wealthy countries generally exhibit higher levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, whereas poorer countries tend to show greater acceptance of the vaccine. They emphasized the necessity of vaccine distribution strategies that take these differences into account.

The research team surveyed over 20,000 individuals across 13 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa and Asia?including Uganda, India, Pakistan, and Colombia?to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance, comparing the results with those from leading vaccine-developing countries such as the United States and Russia.

The findings revealed that the average willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in developing countries was 80.3%, while it was only 64.6% in the United States and 30.4% in Russia. Among respondents in developing countries who expressed willingness to be vaccinated, 91% cited the "preventive effect against COVID-19" as their reason, whereas among those refusing vaccination, 44% cited "concerns about side effects" as the primary reason.

In the United States, vaccination rates have plateaued due to the spread of misinformation, leading to rapid infection surges particularly in regions with many unvaccinated individuals. On the 16th, President Biden stated, "Infections are spreading among the unvaccinated," and added, "Social media platforms are killing people."

While vaccine hesitancy poses challenges to expanding vaccination in developed countries, developing countries face a different issue: despite high willingness to be vaccinated, vaccine supply shortages prevent many from receiving shots.

The research team noted, "COVID-19 vaccine supply is heavily skewed toward high-income countries," and added, "This study, which shows high vaccine acceptance in developing countries, suggests that prioritizing vaccine supply to these countries could be effective in achieving global herd immunity and preventing the emergence of new variants."

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