The rise of new coronavirus variants in Africa appears to have warned disaster scenario experts if rich countries are stocking vaccines for themselves.

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Men will be vaccinated with the coronavirus vaccine in August 2021 on a train intended to vaccinate remote areas of South Africa.

A man vaccinated against coronavirus on a South African train.Reuters / SiphiweSibeko / File Photo

  • A new coronavirus variant has been discovered in southern Africa. Experts are concerned that it could be the worst thing it has ever done.

  • Scientists have warned that without access to global vaccines, dangerous new variants could emerge.

  • They said that all countries need vaccines before wealthy countries get boosters. The rich nations did not listen.

As the coronavirus vaccine was manufactured, approved and deployed, health experts said the dose needed to make it not only in the wealthiest countries, but around the world.

They said this was necessary to reduce mortality and serious illness in poor countries and protect their population.

They pointed out another reason: the more the virus spreads, the more likely it is to mutate, resulting in a strain that can be more dangerous to everyone, including vaccination.

I found a variant I was interested in

A new variant called B.1.1.529 has been identified primarily in Botswana and South Africa, and in Hong Kong imported by travelers.

Although relatively few cases have been found so far, the variants are spreading rapidly, officials said.

Experts explain that they are worried about B.1.1.529 and point out that the number of mutations is high. This can reduce the effectiveness of existing antibodies, vaccines, and treatments. As reported by insider Dr. Catherine Schuster Bruce..

Scientists are now trying to figure out whether it is more infectious, more deadly, or both.

Many experts already say It’s the worst variant They have been watching since the pandemic began.

It is not exactly clear where the new variant was developed. It could have been in South Africa, Botswana, or a neighboring country, or entirely somewhere else.

However, both of these countries have low vaccination rates and document struggles to ensure doses, including: Accusation Rich country Hoarding vaccination.

As of Thursday, 23.51% in South Africa and 19.58% in Botswana have been vaccinated. Our World in Data reported..

A graph showing the vaccination rates of South Africa and Botswana against many of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Graph showing vaccination rates in South Africa and Botswana compared to many of the wealthiest countries in the world.Our world in data

This means that nightmare scenarios can arrive in a way that experts have warned.

Experts have warned about this for months

The World Health Organization has repeatedly urged richer countries to share or buy lower vaccine doses and confirmed that poor countries have the first dose before distributing booster shots.

Those countries haven’t heard.

WHO experts said the distribution of this broader vaccine is partially necessary to prevent the emergence of new and dangerous variants. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist warning In August, she was “feared” that the booster campaign “only leads to more variants.”

Other experts have been warning about the same scenario for months.

Ken Shadren, Professor of Development Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science, I told insiders in March Continued global vaccine inequality “may undermine all the health benefits of blockades and vaccines.”

“If the virus continues to spread, it is inevitable that mutants will escape the vaccine, but” if it continues to spread, it takes a lot of confidence to believe that it won’t happen, “he said.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota who advised Joe Biden on COVID-19 during the presidential transition, expressed the same concern to insiders in March.

Even with widespread vaccination by the wealthiest countries in the world, efforts to end the pandemic would be difficult if there were “mostly uncontrolled infections in low- and middle-income countries,” he said.

Country like England When Germany Travel from many African countries is restricted to prevent the spread of new variants.

Read the original article Business Insider

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