COVID-19 swept the globe, leaving many countries
clamoring to survive. We now look toward the vaccines for assistance in
returning our lives to some level of normalcy. In this post, we will explore
the issue of vaccination worldwide.
What Vaccines are Available?
To provide the world with immunity, several companies
embarked on journeys to create a vaccine. Today, we now have a few COVID-19
vaccine options available. According to the CDC, the three authorized and
recommended in the United States are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson
& Johnson’s Janssen. There are other options, like the Oxford AstraZeneca
vaccine, which is used in many other countries.
Europe
As of 2018, the European population was reported as
746.4 million. To date, 464 million people within the European continent have
received at least one dose of vaccination. Throughout the fifty-one (51)
European countries, they have been using Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson
& Johnson’s Janssen, and the AstraZeneca vaccines to induce population
immunity.
North America
The United States and Canada have vaccinated
approximately 414 million residents, many of whom have received two doses. The
US uses the three vaccines previously mentioned, while Canada uses all three
and AstraZeneca. US President Joe Biden has a goal of having 70% of the US
adult population at least partially vaccinated by July 4.
Africa
Our World in Data reports that, up to June 23, 2021,
approximately 46 million people within the African continent received at least
one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of note, the African population stands at 1.216
billion as of 2016. These numbers suggest that vaccination efforts in African
countries are not progressing as rapidly as they should. South Africa is the
most affected country on the continent; however, its vaccination rate is only
2.7 per 100.
Asia
Asia is the world’s largest continent, with a population
of 4.561 billion. Currently, its vaccination rate stands at 1.65 billion.
Again, these statistics reveal a rather slow progression in the vaccination
rollout efforts. China has been making strides in vaccinating its population and
donating vaccines to other Asian countries. Asia also uses a variety of
available vaccines.
South America & The Caribbean
163 million people have received at least one dose of a
COVID-19 vaccine in South America. Vaccination initiatives are underway in the
Caribbean as well, with countries like St. Kitts and Nevis having a 41%
vaccination rate. Many Caribbean islands are lagging, some with less than a 5%
vaccination rate.
Australia & New Zealand
Combined, both countries have vaccinated almost 8 million
people. This is from a cumulative population of approximately 30 million. Again
we see where vaccination rollout is quite slow. Reports suggest that these two
countries are among many that suffered setbacks at the start of their
vaccination process. Currently, they are administering the Pfizer BioNTech and
the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccines.
From these numbers, it is evident that there are
challenges in the vaccination process. These issues include distribution
disparities, financial setbacks, reluctant citizens, confusion in the rollout
process, and shortage of vaccines. The countries of lower socioeconomic status
are reported to have difficulties in affording the number of vaccines needed.
While the higher-income countries can afford vaccines, they face other issues
like reluctance. Additionally, the possible side effects reported by initial
users cause concern. As such, it has led to the pause of vaccination in many
countries, eventually causing a slower vaccination rate.
Notwithstanding, there has been a
global reduction in COVID-19 cases due to vaccination; however, the variant
strains of the virus are proving to be a challenge. There is so much happening
across the globe concerning COVID-19 vaccination. This bit of information is
only the basics, and we hope to explore more with you.
References
Buchholz, K.
(2021, June 23). Infographic: The COVID-19 Vaccination Race in Asia. Statista
Infographics; Statista.
https://www.statista.com/chart/24463/vaccination-race-asia-coronavirus/
CDC. (2021, May
27). Different COVID-19 Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html
Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Vaccinations - Statistics and Research. (2014). Our World in Data.
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=OWID_WRL
Safe COVID-19
vaccines for Europeans. (2021). European Commission.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans_en
White House Says
The U.S. Will Narrowly Miss Its Vaccination Goal. (2021, June 22). NPR.org.
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/22/1009061023/white-house-says-the-u-s-will-narrowly-miss-its-vaccination-goal
By Kyrios Soter Scientific