Steps You Can Take to Fight for COVID-19 Vaccine Equity

COVID-19 vaccines are on their way to arms around the world, but they need your help to make sure they are equitably distributed.

According to Our World in Data, more than 515 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Many countries — like Bhutan, Seychelles, and Israel — are well on their way to vaccinating their entire populations to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

However, there are still many people in many countries who are not being vaccinated at similar rates. Botswana has temporarily stopped vaccinations in some regions due to shortages, for example, while Rwanda has already used up its first supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses received from COVAX, according to the BBC. Meanwhile, essential workers and vulnerable populations in low-income countries are unable to be vaccinated because they lack access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Dangerous variants of the coronavirus have also led to spikes in reported COVID-19 cases around the world, leading to third and fourth waves. Unvaccinated people in Brazil are at immense risk of contracting the coronavirus, according to the AP, and the number of cases in India are dangerously rising and hitting record levels since the beginning of the pandemic.

Here are five actions you can take to help bring vaccine doses to the countries that need them most.

1. Tell world leaders to end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere.
2.  Email Big Pharma to commit to not-for-profit pricing for COVID-19 vaccines.
3. Tell us about your experience with COVID-19.
4. Tweet at G7 leaders to start donating COVID-19 vaccine doses now.
5. Learn about the importance of vaccine equity.