Description
When Profit Matters: of the West’s Moral Burden, Vaccine Nationalism and the Imperative for Vaccine Equity for Africa
By
Victor Ukaogo, PhD
Department of History & International Studies,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
Africa is painfully gliding from one Covid-19 phase to another as governments in the continent insist that they are ‘not getting as much help as they would like from the international community’. African governments are sad that few of its citizens are getting vaccinated with the West’s moral burden and contradictions beginning to unfold. This study examines the burden of vaccine nationalism and its direct impact on Africa. It investigates the crisis of ‘paying more for less’ as evidenced in the inequitable sale of vaccines to Africa at prices higher than what European Union and other richer states pay. For instance, while EU states pay $2.19 per dose of AstraZeneca, South Africa pay $5.25 – more than double the EU price and whereas the African Union pays $10.00 for Janssen vaccine EU gets same for $8.50. The study argues that African covid-19 mortality rates will soar beyond control except issues of vaccine equity is considered as a response the continent’s bad inoculation record. In comparative terms, rich countries such as EU, Israel, US, the UK, Canada and Australia have 200% vaccine coverage but Africa’s Egypt had only 43% vaccine coverage. With India reneging on providing 600 million AstraZeneca doses through COVAX to Africa, the situation is dire and using primary and secondary sources, the study explores prospects for addressing the African covid-19 dilemma.
Keywords: Vaccine Nationalism, Vaccine Equity, Covid-19, Herd Immunity, Vaccination Passport
