Vaccini, the commitment of the G20 for poor countries and the case of Europe divided between East and West- time.news

by time news
from Francesca Basso, from Brussels

In Bulgaria only 20% of the adult population received two doses, in Romania 32.3%. Covax’s commitment. Minister Speranza: “Vaccines, there are too many inequalities in distribution”

«Vaccines are the key to opening a different season. But there are too many inequalities in distribution and this is unacceptable in terms of values ​​and health, with the risk of new variants. Nobody should be left behind in the vaccination campaign and the G20 countries must help, now and now ». These are the words of the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, pronounced during the final press conference of the G20 Health which was held in Rome on Monday. The gap between countries for the percentage of the population vaccinated against Covid does not only follow the North-South trend of the world. There are also profound differences in Europe.

On 31 August, the European Commission announced with satisfaction that 70% of the adult population is now fully vaccinated: over 256 million people in the EU have received a full course of the vaccine. And as early as July 27, Brussels announced that 70% of the adult population in the EU had received at least one dose. But if we look at the percentages of the individual states, we see that the situation is not homogeneous and there is a gap between East and West. According to the latest data available from the European Center for Disease Control ECDC, which refer to 29 August, fully vaccinated adults stop at 20% in Bulgaria, 32.3% in Romania, and 46.4% in Latvia. 47.7% in Croatia, 49.4% in Slovakia, while in Malta they are 91%, in Ireland 87.6%, in Portugal 83.2% as in Belgium, in France 75, 2%, 72.2% in Germany and 70.1% in Italy. To the east, Hungary stands out with 65.1% (which has also opened up to the use of the Russian vaccine) and Poland with 58.1%.

The difference between East and West is not linked, in Europe, to the availability of vaccines but to citizens’ skepticism. The no vax people in Bulgaria represented 23% of the population in June compared to an EU average of 9% (Eurobarometer). And trust in the country’s institutions, which returned twice to the polls in four months (in April and July) due to the impossibility of forming a government, is quite low. In France and Italy, the decision to use the green pass to allow access to many services played an important role. But beyond the choices of individual states, the Covid map also marks a division within the EU between countries with stronger and weaker economies. Furthermore, the fact that EU countries lag behind in fighting the virus risks having an impact on freedom of movement and the single market as well.

According to Minister Speranza on the vaccine front, there are “wrong and unsustainable distances between countries.” Nobody should be left behind in the vaccination campaign. The strongest countries must take charge of this ». The Health G20 on Monday pledged to intervene to bring vaccines to the most fragile countries through Covax and favoring local production. The G20 countries will also have to keep in mind that the obstacle of vaccinations is not overcome only with the doses available, as evidenced by the European situation.

September 6, 2021 (change September 6, 2021 | 18:46)

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