ED: Vaccines are for everyone

It is an encouraging sign to see the urgency displayed at the 109th International Labour Conference (ILC), where a resolution was adopted with a call for timely, affordable, and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all people in all countries.

Covid-19 has, beyond a shadow of a doubt, clearly showcased the inequitable nature of the world today, and vaccination has only served to further elucidate this point. Whereas the more affluent economies sit on surplus stocks, there remain too many nations who have barely vaccinated their population, or in the case of others, are yet to administer a single dose.

This disparity in vaccine administration helps no one -- Covid-19 is a global pandemic and it is simply not an option to just vaccinate one’s own citizens without caring about what is happening to the rest of the world.

More is needed from organizations such as ILO, and developing nations have rightfully urged them to play a more effective role to address the rapidly increasing inequalities between the developed and the developing countries.

For Bangladesh, vaccination had begun with impressive efficiency, but had to be abruptly stopped as a result of deteriorating conditions in India, which was supplying the doses. While it is good to see that vaccination has resumed once again from yesterday, this uncertainty over having or not having enough doses on hand cannot be the norm.

Moving forward, we hope that the rest of the world recognizes that the best way to end this pandemic is for equitable vaccine distribution, and global leaders take the necessary steps to ensure this happens.