?US cuts global vaccine funding

By Mitchell Blatt
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, April 20, 2022
Adjust font size:
A medical worker collects a swab sample from a person at a COVID-19 testing site on Times Square in New York, the United States, March 29, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus that led to record surges of cases in nearly every country around the world came about because of mutations to the virus that were discovered in South Africa. Experts say more mutations will occur as long as much of the world remains unvaccinated.

"Until we get the world vaccinated, we're going to continue to see variants arise," said Dr. Anna Durbin, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Global Health, in an interview published by Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Andrew Freedman said the same in an interview with CNBC: "Until the whole world is vaccinated, not just rich Western countries, I think we are going to remain in danger of new variants coming along, and some of those could be more virulent than Omicron."

More funding is desperately needed. Two dozen countries still have less than 20% of their populations vaccinated. Most of those countries are poor, and many are conflict-ravaged. Syria, where multiple countries and local militias have been warring for years, is just 8% vaccinated.

The United States, for that matter, despite no foreign militaries occupying it and a huge head start in hoarding vaccine supply, has a relatively low vaccination rate compared to other wealthy countries. At just 66%, the U.S. has still not met the 70% target it hoped to reach last year.

Funding vaccination campaigns around the world "isn't altruism or aid or anything; this is the global escape strategy from something that we're all suffering together," said Danny Altmann of Imperial College London.

Yet the United States – which was one of the worst-hit countries by Omicron – has recently cut funding for vaccinating the world.

The bill passed by the U.S. Congress only funds $10 billion for the pandemic response after more than $20 billion was requested by U.S. President Joe Biden. Stingy American legislators cut funding for treating uninsured U.S. citizens infected by COVID-19 as well as funding for global vaccine programs. USAID will not be able to fund any more vaccines in Africa after July. 

The tight-fisted decision to undermine the global vaccine campaign is as short-sighted for Americans as it is greedy. During America's Omicron outbreak in January, the U.S. experienced multiple daily 1 million COVID-19 transmissions. Sixty thousand people died. 

But cutting funding is in keeping with a U.S. antagonism towards foreign aid. The neo-conservatives have always resented foreign countries who don't follow the U.S. foreign policy interests in every case for needing aid. They have often demanded every country the U.S. aids vote with the U.S. in the United Nations.

In 2011, House Republicans proposed cuts to funding for programs addressing HIV/AIDS and malaria in Africa and USAID writ large. Global health has never been their highest priority.

Things have gotten worse since Donald Trump took over the Republican Party and won the presidency in 2016. The ID of Trump's toxic politics is "America First." In practice, it shows how mean and closed-minded one can be. 

It is about a lack of caring, not just for the people of the world with darker skin than Trump and his fellow Republicans, but also a lack of care for one's fellow citizens. The Republicans cut funding for all kinds of social services, veterans' healthcare, opioid and drug addiction programs, infrastructure, and many other things that benefit Americans directly.

It is a twisted, cruel reversal of terminology that leaves America – and the world – vulnerable to the next variant and the next COVID-19 surge.

Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 一卡二卡三卡在线| 国产午夜福利片| 久久机热这里只有精品无需| 欧美黑人激情性久久| 公与秀婷厨房猛烈进出视频| 色窝窝亚洲av网| 国产又黄又硬又湿又黄的| caoporn97在线视频进入| 国产麻豆一精品一aV一免费| japanese酒醉侵犯| 慧静和一群狼好爽| 亚洲人成在线观看| 波多野结衣久久| 免费国产污网站在线观看| 美女被羞羞吸乳动漫视频| 国产中文99视频在线观看| 高能预警韩国双ts超美| 国产无套粉嫩白浆| 浮力影院亚洲国产第一页| 国内揄拍国内精品视频| japanese日本护士xxxx18一19| 怡红院亚洲红怡院在线观看| 中文字幕无线码免费人妻| 日本一道高清一区二区三区| 久久精品中文字幕第一页| 最近中文字幕mv免费视频| 亚洲一区在线免费观看| 欧美双茎同入视频在线观看| 亚洲欧美中文字幕| 欧美最猛黑人xxxx黑人猛交| 亚洲精品一卡2卡3卡四卡乱码| 狠狠噜天天噜日日噜视频麻豆| 免费看欧美成人性色生活片| 精品美女在线观看| 又大又硬又爽免费视频| 自拍偷在线精品自拍偷| 国产一区二区三区国产精品| 色片在线免费观看| 国产va免费精品高清在线| 色欲综合久久中文字幕网| 国产丫丫视频私人影院|