‘Global immunisation by 2022 can only have reasonable prospect’

DUBAI: The world’s leading healthcare experts have said that global immunisation by 2022 can only be a “reasonable prospect if there is fair vaccine distribution in the world.” The key stakeholders delivered an impassioned plea for an equitable solution to the global vaccination against Covid-19 in a virtual session “Will the Earth’s Population be Vaccinated by 2021” during the World Government Summit Dialogues being held in Dubai. The session drew the participation of President of Senegal Macky Sall, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Director of United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Henrietta Holsman Fore and Special Envoy on Covid-19 of World Health Organization (WHO) Dr David Nabarro.

“Let’s get everyone to focus on fair access to vaccine for everybody -- then realistically the objective for immunisation -- at least by 2022 is a reasonable prospect,” the speakers expressed the hope.

Special Envoy on Covid-19 of WHO Dr David Nabarro criticised the rampant nationalisation and selfishness when it came to vaccine distribution. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said that the distribution of the vaccine is the biggest challenge we face since World War II. Senegalese President Macky Sall said the country has so far received 124,000 doses of the vaccine.