Boosters for Canada, as the world suffers is irresponsible and inhumane
By Michael Ru
The entire world is bleeding. Now, imagine a scenario where you have two Band-Aids and the person next to you has none; while they continue to bleed, can you really take another for yourself?
Apparently, many believe we can, as Health Canada announced the decision to “take another Band-Aid” and make booster shots accessible for the Canadian population, giving fully immunized citizens access to an additional dosage of the Sars-CoV-2 (Covid-19) vaccine. This booster-dosage mandate is emblematic of a larger problem in governance, with nationalistic interests trumping practical and moral solutions. Wealthy countries continually prioritize their own interests at the expense of lower-income countries that have not been able to vaccinate even ten percent of their population. Thus, I am urging Canadians at this present moment to advocate for global vaccine redistribution.
Currently, only 4.5 percent of people in low-income countries have even received a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
This startling statistic is reflective of the discrepancies in vaccine access around the world. While low-income countries experience perpetual vaccine shortages, Canada now holds a number of vaccines that is over four times greater than the population itself. In fact, Canada alongside the UK, United States, the European Union, and Japan will have a collective surplus of unused vaccines projected to reach 1.2 billion by the end of this year. Presently, as large pharmaceutical companies continue to accelerate Sars-CoV-2 vaccine production, it becomes clear that the discrepancies in vaccine accessibility are fueled by monopolized hoarding in powerful nations.
But why is it important to redistribute excess vaccines globally rather than or even while protecting Canadian citizens with a third shot? Why is it important to vaccinate the world?
Perhaps the most prominent reason is that the pandemic will not be over in Canada until it is over everywhere – and the only solution is to immunize the majority of the world. Wherever there are concentrations of unvaccinated people, the probability of the transmission and virus mutations increase exponentially – mutations that lead to new variants which can have the potential to render current vaccines ineffective. For example, in India, poor vaccination coverage due to global vaccine inequity allowed the Delta variant to spread rapidly and cause over 450, 000 deaths. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports the Delta variant accounts for 100 percent of new infections. Now, the emerging Omicron variant has posed many challenges to global health security and national-level policies. Hence, it is imperative to recognize the interconnectedness of the globe, and until there is sufficient vaccination coverage everywhere, new variants will continue to emerge and spread.
Recently, there have been some concerns surrounding evidence that the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine declines significantly after a six-month period. However, as data indicate, even though there is an increased rate of infection, the two-dose vaccinations continue to protect recipients from severe complications with 97 percent efficacy, virtually unchanged from peak efficacy a few months prior. The Pfizer vaccine, alongside the different Covid-19 vaccines, maintains efficacy and continues to reduce severe symptoms and outcomes. While we are still learning about the latest Omicron variant, evidence suggests that two doses of the coronavirus vaccine provide adequate protection for all previous variants. Therefore, higher priority should be given to sending doses to protect the unvaccinated world, limiting the possibility of new mutants and ultimately protecting us, and our global neighbors. With the emerging variant threat if high-income countries decide to mandate boosters, then an equal effort should be put towards ensuring enough vaccines are available in low and middle-income countries as well.
At this moment in time, the most pertinent need is for those who have not even received a single shot or are not fully vaccinated. Although justified for the most vulnerable members of our community, our priorities for booster distribution must be balanced with the goal of global vaccine equity. If we are to allow general citizens to receive boosters without meaningfully supporting low-income countries to vaccinate the majority of their populations, it will not only be poor policy. It would be an intentional disregard for human life and a moral failure on Canada’s role as a world leader.
A pandemic by definition is an outbreak that affects us all globally and we need to start addressing it as such. Ensuring vaccine equity, as a nation, is the most effective contribution to global solutions in this pandemic - only then, can we truly stop the bleeding.
About the Author
Michael Ru is an undergraduate student at McGill University. He majors in Anatomy and Cell Biology and is currently completing his Honors research in behavioral sciences to study how early life stress may have profound impacts on development. He is a community leader and LGBTQ+ activist. Michael is a medical school hopeful and is passionate about global health and medical equity.