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The Inequity of the COVID19 Vaccine Distribution: The rich countries hoard vaccines while the poor countries struggle to get them

Last week at Cedars-Sinai, we received an email asking its employees interested in getting the vaccine against COVID19. I was very excited about this since it means a lot of things at once. The development of safe mRNA vaccines in a short period shows how much technology has advanced and highlights the importance of working together as the companies that manufactured the vaccines were not in a race against each other but against the virus. On the other hand, getting a notification that I was soon going to get vaccinated against this virus that has changed our world was pure joy, that sadly faded away.

As I told my friends and family the excitement that I was having because I would be vaccinated soon, all they did was ask me, but when are we going to get the vaccination for us? For our healthcare workers, grandparents, and grandmothers? We have heard in the USA with optimism how the government has secured millions of doses for its people, and it only makes sense that a government wants to put their citizens first but, at what cost? Where does the solidarity with other nations reside? These questions made me dig deeper into an issue that gets shadow by the hype of us getting vaccinated.

The People Vaccine Alliance, an international watchdog that includes Amnesty International, has warned that some countries have bought enough COVID vaccine to immunize their populations more than once. It highlights Canada as the top country on this matter that has reported over 400.000 cases of COVID19 has secured enough vaccinations to immunize its population at least five times. In contrast, poorer countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people. The Alliance data also showed that the deals that have been done between the governments and the eight leading vaccine candidates’ risk of leaving behind middle-low and low-income countries, as rich nations hoard on vaccine deals.1

A clear example of the disparity between the rich and the poor has been the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines’ inequitable deals, which have shown on their preliminary data to have the highest efficacy rate. Due to their promising results, the vaccine lots have been bought in a staggering 96% for Pfizer and 100% for Moderna by rich nations. With those impressive figures, the gap between the have and the have nots will stretch even further. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom, warned during a press conference “Every government rightly wants to do everything to protect its people, but there is now a real risk that the poorest and most vulnerable will be trampled in the stampede for vaccines”.2

Nonetheless, international efforts have been made to achieve global vaccination, such as COVAX. This compact, composed of 189 countries, amongst which the USA and Russia resonate for their absence, has high and middle-income countries committing to provide funding to ensure access to vaccination and equitably manufacturing them. In contrast, poorer countries have signed to secure vaccines for their population. This effort will also be backed up by agencies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.3 Efforts by the Oxford/Aztreneca are also of great importance to allow developing nations to get the vaccine, as they have pledged to five more than half of its doses to developing nations. Unfortunately, this would only reach 18% of the world’s population.4

I concur with Melinda Gates’s denomination of this phenomenon as vaccine nationalism, with the populist premise of “our citizens first,” that suffice its purpose of improving the polls for political gains. However, these actions go against one of the most powerful lessons this pandemic has taught us, the sense of community and working towards the benefit of all.

I firmly believe that vaccine allocation for a health crisis like this should prioritize global immunization for healthcare workers and elderly patients, rather than prioritizing country of residence or origin. It is not acceptable to have an effective vaccine, not reaching healthcare providers on the frontlines of developing countries fighting this virus without this indispensable weapon. In contrast, rich countries rely on an excess of vaccines and immunize low-risk citizens first.

This pandemic has shown us how fragile humanity. Now more than ever, the rich countries and their economic capacity must set an example of global leadership and outline a sensible policy that focuses on a global perspective rather than an exclusive, nationalistic one because this crisis won’t be over until everyone gets vaccinated.

 

References

  1. International. A and https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/12/campaigners-warn-that-9-out-of-10-people-in-poor-countries-are-set-to-miss-out-on-covid-19-vaccine-next-year/. 2021.
  2. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/rich-countries-hoarding-vaccine-report/story?id=74623521 A.
  3. https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/world/coronavirus-vaccine-developing-world-intl/index.html C.
  4. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55229894 B.

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”

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COVID-19 Vaccine: What We Need To Know

While we are living in the third peak of COVID-19 pandemic, we have been delighted to hear about the recent food and drug administration (FDA) approval of the COVID-19 vaccine, after trials involving hundreds or more of patients showed the vaccine safety and efficacy [1,2]. However, the COVID-19 vaccine is associated with some side effects, which in fact might be more common than the flu vaccine. Healthcare workers and first responders will have the priority to get the vaccine at many institutions given their high-risk work environment. So, I decided to share some knowledge about some of the side effects of the vaccine I recently read about and how institutions are planning to stagger the vaccines among their employees.

What are the side effects of the vaccine?

Side effects seem to be more common than the annual flu vaccine, with arm pain at the injection site, generalized fatigue and malaise, headaches, dizziness, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Rare side effects include Bell’s palsy and temporary facial muscle paralysis. Most of these side effects are mild and resolve in a few days. These side effects occur more frequently after the second dose of the vaccine. These side effects actually suggest reactogenicity and that the immune system is responding to the vaccine [1,2].

Are there long-term adverse events of the COVID-19 vaccine?

This is still unknown and under close monitoring by FDA [1].

How will the vaccine change things from now on?

The COVID-19 vaccine is an additional protection layer, but it does not substitute the other protection measures we have been following; that means we should still conform to social distancing and follow hygienic instructions wherever we go till the pandemic is over. This pandemic has taught us all, as a healthcare professional and as members of the community, to be responsible for our actions toward each other and persist despite all the obstacles. The vaccine could be the first step that leads us back to “normal life” as long as we stay responsible for each other.

REFERENCES

[1] Walsh EE, Frenck RW Jr, Falsey AR, et al. Safety and Immunogenicity of Two RNA-Based Covid-19 Vaccine Candidates [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 14]. N Engl J Med. 2020;NEJMoa2027906. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2027906

[2] Yuan P, Ai P, Liu Y, Ai Z, Wang Y, Cao W, Xia X, Zheng JC. Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2020 Nov 4:2020.11.03.20224998. doi: 10.1101/2020.11.03.20224998. PMID: 33173896; PMCID: PMC7654888.

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”

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COVID-19: The Road to Recovery

The disruption COVID-19 has caused globally is nothing short of mind-blowing and extremely fatiguing. On a daily basis, new information is released about economic declines, healthcare burdens, and the ever-changing social distancing norms. Across the US, there are varying degrees of social distancing, shelter-in-place recommendations, and acceptance from the community on steps going forwards. We have recently seen protests to open the country and at times horrific images from the community we are trying to protect. No matter where you may stand on these issues, we can agree the road to recovery from this pandemic for America will be long and challenging. The work going forward will require continued teamwork to keep Americans healthy. Here are a few of my thoughts, in no particular order, that we should keep in mind.

  • Pediatric population: the recent decline in outpatient availability has reduced primary care milestones. Many children are delayed in getting their vaccinations as a result of COVID-19. Plans of efficiently having children receive their vaccinations will be instrumental, especially those who will be of school age.
  • Elective procedures: during this pandemic, in efforts to reduce potential exposure various procedures have been postponed. All across medicine, we have delayed elective cardiac catheterizations, ablations, numerous surgeries, and even radiological imaging. Some institutions have started to plan to have extended operating room hours or even full surgical days on the weekend. All divisions will have to consider the same to be able to catch up with the outpatient procedures. Of course, a tremendous amount of resources will need to be dedicated to this endeavor which adds another layer of complexity.
  • Future clinic visits: something we will have to keep in mind is if we will have clinic days where we only see COVID-19 positive patients. Keeping patients in the waiting rooms safe from potential sources of infection will be of utmost importance. Many epidemiologists believe there will be a second surge but it’s hard to predict it’s impact. Of course, the challenge in America is the lack of universal testing therefore there can be patients who have COVID-19 but were never identified.
  • Health Care Reform: the COVID-19 pandemic in America has highlighted the pitfalls of our health care system. A big share of Americans are uninsured and we as citizens carry more medical debt than our counterparts from other developed nations. And one of the single biggest problems, which is largely American, is cost. In my short career, I frequently meet patients who do not seek medical care due to the costs associated with routine care. I’ve had patients fight with me to use their own medications because the same medications in the hospital setting are exponentially more expensive. The downfalls of the American health system, which already placed us behind our peers on many medical outcomes, have been exposed in this outbreak. I don’t know what the right course is moving forward but I hope to be a part of it.

We are continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic with all of our strength and energy, but we have a long road ahead of us. If we continue to work together, collaborate, and utilize our resources efficiently, we will continue to be successful.

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”