Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Younger People Get Vaccine In Indonesia Ahead Of Older Ones
Bloomberg: Younger People In Indonesia Get Covid Vaccines First In Unusual Rollout
Indonesia plans to vaccinate its young working-age population against the coronavirus before the elderly, in contrast to much of the world that’s planning on putting its vulnerable older people first in line. Southeast Asia’s first country to receive delivery of Covid-19 vaccines will focus on inoculating those between 18 to 59 years of age, starting with those working on the front lines of the pandemic such as health workers, the police, and the military. The U.K. started the Western world’s earliest vaccination program with a 91-year-old woman last week, in line with most other countries. (Aditya and Ho, 12/15)
Stat: One-Quarter Of The World May Not Get A Covid-19 Vaccine Until 2022
As wealthy governments race to lock in supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, nearly a quarter of the world’s population — mostly in low and middle-income countries — will not have access to a shot until 2022, according to a new analysis. As of mid-November, high income countries, including the European Union bloc, reserved 51% of nearly 7.5 billion doses of different Covid-19 vaccines, although these countries comprise just 14% of the world’s population. Meanwhile, only six of the 13 manufacturers working on Covid-19 vaccine candidates have reached agreements to sell their shots to low and middle-income countries. (Silverman, 12/15)
CNN: International Rescue Committee: The World's Most Vulnerable Face Conflict, Covid-19 And Climate Change In 2021, Report Says
Optimism about 2021 is emerging in wealthier corners of the world, with both the United States and the United Kingdom beginning Covid-19 vaccinations and other nations close behind. But for many countries, the long tail of the pandemic could make next year even more devastating than 2020. (Pozzebon and Rahim, 12/16)
Politico: Africa Visit By EU Officials Set Off Coronavirus Super-Spreader Fears
A visit to Addis Ababa in October by a high-level delegation including EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was designed to showcase a donation of 7.5 tons of coronavirus testing kits. Instead, it ended up setting off fears of a super-spreader event at the African Union headquarters and among top Ethiopian officials. (Herszenhorn and Barigazzi, 12/16)
