The world is waiting with bated breath while scientists study the Omicron variant of COVID-19, to determine how quickly it can spread, whether it causes more or less severe disease than other variants, and how much protection our current vaccines will provide.
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Most will be relieved to learn early signs suggest fully vaccinated Australians may not need to be too concerned. With a vaccination rate of 88 per cent of people aged 16 and over (and climbing), our vaccines will likely continue to protect us against severe illness and death. But as Omicron spreads rapidly in South Africa and cases emerge in dozens of other countries around the world, it is likely to cause a global surge of COVID-19 with devastating consequences for developing countries.
Sadly, unless we urgently increase vaccination rates in low-income countries, we can expect more variants, which may be more dangerous, to emerge in areas of uncontrolled transmission.
So far, only about 6 per cent of people in low-income countries have received a vaccine dose. The situation is dire in Africa, with only five of 54 countries expected to meet the World Health Organization's target of vaccinating 40 per cent of their populations by the end of the year. While vaccine hesitancy is a problem in every country, research suggests that acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is actually higher in many low- and middle-income countries than in some wealthier countries such as the US.
Wealthy countries have monopolised vaccine supplies while refusing to break the monopolies over the rights to make them, which are currently held by a small number of pharmaceutical companies.
Wealthy countries mopped up more than half of the first 7.5 billion vaccine doses, and have continued to stockpile doses for booster shots. More booster shots have now been given in high-income countries than the total number of doses given in low-income countries.
And while pledges to donate more than 1.3 billion vaccine doses had been made, only about 10 per cent had been delivered by October 25. Companies in the developing world are ready to make COVID-19 vaccines, and the WHO has set up an mRNA manufacturing hub in South Africa. But Pfizer and Moderna are refusing to release the rights to make their vaccines. Unless rich countries act quickly to right the balance, Omicron will take a terrible toll on the developing world - and could herald the arrival of more variants that threaten all of us.
- Dr Deborah Gleeson, Associate Professor School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University.
