Africa faces severe COVID vaccine shortage

According to the World Health Organization, this continent with a population of 1.3 billion is facing a serious shortage of vaccines. At the same time, a new wave of infections is spreading in Africa. The WHO said last week that vaccine shipments into Africa have “almost stopped.”

Dr. John Enkengasson, director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: “This is very worrying and sometimes frustrating,” said Dr. John Enkengasson, a Cameroonian virologist, who is working to ensure that some of the world’s most Poor countries have access to a fair vaccine in an uncompetitive market.

In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have fully vaccinated more than 40% of the population, with higher rates of adult and high-risk groups. Coverage rates in European countries approach or exceed 20%, and their citizens are beginning to consider where their vaccine certificates can take them to spend their summer vacation. The United States, France, and Germany even provide vaccinations to young people who have a very low risk of developing serious diseases due to COVID-19.

In South Africa, one of the richest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, only 0.8% of the population was vaccinated, while Nigeria, with a population of more than 200 million, received only 0.1% of the vaccine.