PHILADELPHIA—Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, added her name to the growing list of public health officials publicly calling for nations of the G20 to take immediate on global COVID-19 vaccine equity. As one of the first U.S. cities to sign on, Dr. Bettigole joins representatives from more than 16 cities around the world. This non-binding call to action seeks to remind leaders that lack of vaccine access in the Global South puts everyone at risk of future variants.
“In Philadelphia, the poorest and most at risk have suffered disproportionately from COVID-19,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole. “The same effects are felt globally, and the poorest countries that have the least capacity to manage the pandemic are hit the hardest. We cannot allow this injustice to continue. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that until all of us are safe, none of us are.”
Recent data shows that only 10% of the population in low-income countries have received one dose of vaccine, compared to nearly 80% in high income countries. Being unvaccinated has been shown in study after study to increase the risk of severe COVID and death. Populations in poor countries have and continue to experience significant inequitable mortality. Given the interconnectedness of the world today, under-vaccinated populations increase the possibility of new, dangerous variants that can cause the imposition of restrictions everywhere, including Philadelphia.
The letter calls on the G20 nations to increase access to accurate information about vaccination and to prevent the spread of misinformation by:
- Holding social media/tech companies and anti-vaccination groups accountable for the spread of misinformation.
- Prioritizing partnerships with trusted community groups to build vaccine confidence, support navigation to vaccination sites, and counter misinformation.
- Investing in national and global public health messaging efforts to encourage vaccination.
The letter also calls for nations to increase equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by:
- Ensuring that countries in the Global South have appropriate vaccine infrastructure, particularly around cold chain maintenance and that donations do not create an unfair burden based on expiration dates.
- Adjusting G20 country vaccine donations to COVAX based on demand in recipient countries.
- Committing to producing at least 15 billion mRNA doses in the next six months, including investing in manufacturing capacity in the Global South.
- Following through on previous commitments to share intellectual property and expertise to enable more Global South countries to manufacture vaccines at home.
- Publicly voicing support for the WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver.
The full letter, including all current signatories, can be found here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccine-global-equity.page.