Is the hoarding of COVID-19 Vaccine to blame for low vaccination?

The low rate of vaccination in the developing countries has been blamed on vaccine hoarding by the Western nations, including USA and UK. Vaccine hoarding refers to the tendency by the West to stock more COVID-19 vaccines than they need. The WHO has led in condemning the developed countries for the unethical behavior of disrupting the supply of vaccines across the globe.

However, the developing countries such as those in Africa must take the largest share of the blame. The respective governments have failed to invest in healthcare, leaving millions of people grappling with poor health and vulnerabilities to the COVID-19. The billions of tax collected by the government are not utilized effectively as a large share is misappropriated through corrupt dealings and high-end excursions by the elected officials. Some of the governments have become a laughing stock for having more ministers, assistance ministers, and legislators than the number of ICU beds in the entire country. These governments have enough resources to purchase the vaccines and protect their people from the deadly virus.

Moreover, the aid dependency syndrome in Africa has worsened the situation. The African countries are used to financial assistance from the developed countries, and this lack of self-dependency has contributed to the failure to set up the right structures to safeguard the people's wellbeing. They are not ready to invest resources to purchase the vaccines and have to wait for donations from the rich countries. Of note, it has taken more than one year since the COVID-19 outbreak for the African nations to realize that they can manufacture vaccines for the people and be self-reliant. This laxity must be strongly condemned as it demonstrates the extent to which Africa and the rest of the third world has neglected their people.

Although vaccine hoarding by the West must also be faulted, developing countries must wake up from slumber and fight for their people. They must set their priorities right in resource allocation and utilization. Seeking sympathy from the West is not the solution to the low vaccination coverage, but rather being deliberate in purchasing and manufacturing the vaccines.