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.
For this reason, Global Citizen launched our VAX LIVE campaign and VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to support equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines so that the pandemic can end for everyone, everywhere.
Hosted by Selena Gomez and featuring special musical performances, VAX LIVE, airing on May 8, will call on world leaders to share vaccine doses and ask corporations and philanthropists to donate enough “dollars-for-doses” to vaccinate the 27 million health workers on the frontlines of the pandemic in the poorest countries who still need access to COVID-19 vaccines.
But in order to make an impact, Global Citizens like you need to take action, too.
While enjoying a night of music from some of the best musicians out there, do your part to support equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution around the world.
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.
We need to get COVID-19 vaccines everywhere to kickstart a global recovery. Sign this petition to tell decision makers to donate doses and ensure fair pricing of COVID-19 vaccines to end the pandemic globally.
2. Email Big Pharma to commit to not-for-profit pricing for COVID-19 vaccines.
Pharmaceutical companies like Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca have committed to not-for-profit pricing so that COVID-19 vaccines can be accessible to all countries and people, but Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have not. By keeping their prices above cost, these companies are keeping millions of people in low-income countries from accessing lifesaving vaccine doses.
Send an email to Big Pharma telling them that safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines should be a public good and not an exclusive product.
3. Tell us about your experience with COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of millions of people worldwide. Whether you are feeling anxiety, grief, or hope, Global Citizen is creating a space for you to share personal COVID-19 stories from across the world.
Send us a message describing your experience during COVID-19 and what you’ve missed the most over the past year. Then, head to our multimedia hub VAX BECAUSE to read others’ stories, join candid conversations about the pandemic, and find answers to your biggest questions.
4. Tweet at G7 leaders to start donating COVID-19 vaccine doses now.
Rich countries have purchased over half of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines, leaving low-income nations vulnerable to the coronavirus. Send a tweet to some of the G7 leaders asking them to support vaccine equity now.
5. Learn about the importance of vaccine equity.
Not sure about what vaccine nationalism is or why it will keep us from ending the COVID-19 pandemic? Take our quiz to learn about vaccine equity and why globally supported initiatives like COVAX will help end the pandemic by delivering 2 billion vaccines to countries around the world.
One of the main goals of Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World campaign is to end COVID-19 for all. For more actions you can take to support vaccine equity and hold world leaders and corporations accountable, visit our campaign page here.