• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • European News
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Science
    • UK News
    • World News
    RMT Union banner

    When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

    Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

    Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

    Border control at Dover

    The moral argument for open borders

    the quilt

    Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

    Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

    Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

    Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

    Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

    The freight area at Teesside Airport

    The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

    girl with violin in sunflower field

    Welcoming the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra: flags, a star and a gigantic quilt

    pills

    Active patients have better outcomes and may reduce the pressure on the NHS

    Trending Tags

    • Ukraine
  • Culture
    • All
    • Animation
    • Books
    • Illustrations & More
    • Music
    • Performance
    • Poetry
    • Social Media
    • Theatre
    • TV & Radio
    street in Naples

    Five books to read that bring Naples to life

    Derry Girls mural

    Derry Girls: from the beginning

    Live Theatre sign

    Your Voice Your Future: North East

    white stag

    White Stag

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    Master Chef of Great Britain

    Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

    Prezzo

    Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

    Chef and son

    MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

    Scottish highlands

    The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

    Kleo Tabuku

    Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

    Pop up park

    Pop up to the park in Sunderland

    The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

    The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

    gymnast

    Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

    Kennedy and Rhind

    Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

    Trending Tags

    • Business
      • All
      • Economy
      • Rural
      • Technology
      • Trade
      • Voluntary Sector
      Scottish highlands

      The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

      loo

      A room with a loo

      Newcastle quayside

      Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

      Brexit economics

      New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

      Wetherspoons pub

      Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

      Leon Fussell rehearsing

      Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

      Houchen and spade

      Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

      Keir Starmer

      Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

      London Bridge tube station

      A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

      Trending Tags

      • Region
        • All
        • Co. Durham
        • North East
        • Northumberland
        • Teesside
        • Tyneside
        • Wearside
        DCFO Peter Heath

        Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

        Pride flag

        Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

        Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

        Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

        the quilt

        Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

        Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

        Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

        The Wind in the Willows

        The Wind in the Willows and more at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

        The freight area at Teesside Airport

        The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

        loo

        A room with a loo

        Kleo Tabuku

        Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
          Titanic coming out of Southampton

          The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

          There is an England

          There is an England

          Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

          The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

          Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

          TV Agency staff jumping in the air

          The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

          North East of County Dublin

          North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

          North Sea oil rig

          Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

          Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

          Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

          close up on a child's eye

          Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • European News
          • Health
          • Politics
          • Science
          • UK News
          • World News
          RMT Union banner

          When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

          Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

          Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

          Border control at Dover

          The moral argument for open borders

          the quilt

          Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

          Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

          Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

          Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

          Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

          The freight area at Teesside Airport

          The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

          girl with violin in sunflower field

          Welcoming the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra: flags, a star and a gigantic quilt

          pills

          Active patients have better outcomes and may reduce the pressure on the NHS

          Trending Tags

          • Ukraine
        • Culture
          • All
          • Animation
          • Books
          • Illustrations & More
          • Music
          • Performance
          • Poetry
          • Social Media
          • Theatre
          • TV & Radio
          street in Naples

          Five books to read that bring Naples to life

          Derry Girls mural

          Derry Girls: from the beginning

          Live Theatre sign

          Your Voice Your Future: North East

          white stag

          White Stag

        • Lifestyle
          • All
          • Fashion
          • Food & Drink
          • Health & Fitness
          Master Chef of Great Britain

          Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

          Prezzo

          Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

          Chef and son

          MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

          Scottish highlands

          The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

          Kleo Tabuku

          Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

          Pop up park

          Pop up to the park in Sunderland

          The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

          The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

          gymnast

          Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

          Kennedy and Rhind

          Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

          Trending Tags

          • Business
            • All
            • Economy
            • Rural
            • Technology
            • Trade
            • Voluntary Sector
            Scottish highlands

            The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

            loo

            A room with a loo

            Newcastle quayside

            Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

            Brexit economics

            New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

            Wetherspoons pub

            Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

            Leon Fussell rehearsing

            Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

            Houchen and spade

            Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

            Keir Starmer

            Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

            London Bridge tube station

            A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

            Trending Tags

            • Region
              • All
              • Co. Durham
              • North East
              • Northumberland
              • Teesside
              • Tyneside
              • Wearside
              DCFO Peter Heath

              Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

              Pride flag

              Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

              Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

              Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

              the quilt

              Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

              Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

              Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

              The Wind in the Willows

              The Wind in the Willows and more at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

              The freight area at Teesside Airport

              The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

              loo

              A room with a loo

              Kleo Tabuku

              Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
                Titanic coming out of Southampton

                The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

                There is an England

                There is an England

                Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

                The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

                Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

                TV Agency staff jumping in the air

                The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

                North East of County Dublin

                North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

                North Sea oil rig

                Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

                Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

                Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

                close up on a child's eye

                Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

              No Result
              View All Result
              North East Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Audio

              Hares and tortoises in the Covid-19 vaccine race

              Countries acting individually will not deliver the number of vaccines the world needs (Zosia Kmietowicz in the British Medical Journal on 6 February). Joint vaccine procurement schemes, as used by the EU and the African Union, are slower to set up but ensure equitable vaccine distribution at lower prices.

              Giuseppe BignardibyGiuseppe Bignardi
              08-02-2021 15:24
              in Audio, Health, Politics, UK, World News
              Hare and tortoise

              In the Covid-19 race both hares and tortoises need to get smarter and work together from wikimedia commons

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT
              Hare and Tortoises in the Covud-19 vaccine race, written by Giuseppe Bignardi and read by Gareth Kearns

              The Bloomberg Covid-19 Tracker website updates regularly its World Map of Vaccinations picture. Worryingly, big chunks of the world are still painted in grey. These are countries in which few vaccines have been administered and they are not just low-income countries.

              Several high-income countries have not yet started giving vaccines, including South Korea, Japan, Hong-Kong, as well as Australia (commencing vaccinations in late February) and New Zealand (commencing vaccinations in March). These countries have been successful at suppressing Covid-19 with public health measures: they do not need to take part into a vaccination ‘race’ or, perhaps, they perceive the race as a marathon rather than a sprint.

              According to the Bloomberg website Israel leads the vaccine race (61.2 doses per 100 people: data on 8 February), whereas the UK is in 4th position (18.7 doses per 100 people) just ahead of the US. The EU performance has been mediocre (23rd position with 3.8 doses per 100 people) and just about the same as that of other non-EU European countries like Switzerland and Norway. Canada is slightly behind (2.8 doses per 100 people). China and Russia are further behind.

              The current ranking in the vaccine race is affected by how early large pre-order contracts were placed and by how much money was paid to speed up or prioritise access. During a recent dispute, the EU had argued that AstraZeneca had a contractual obligation to supply from four plants, including two in the UK. However, it was subsequently reported that the AstraZeneca contract with the UK gave Britain first claim on vaccines produced domestically.

              Astra Zeneca has denied that they are favouring the highest bidder: though this seems to be precisely what is happening. The vaccine prices paid by each nation are confidential, but some prices have been leaked: Israel pays more for the Pfizer vaccine than the EU. Similarly, the UK pays more than the EU for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

              Paying more for earlier access is not wrong in terms of self-interest, particularly in the worst affected countries, as it may help to curtail restrictions and speed-up the economic recovery.

              Boris Johnson’s government has fared badly in managing the pandemic, mostly because of delays in introducing restrictions and a dysfunctional privatised ‘test and trace’ system: this has resulted in one of the highest death rates. Conversely, the UK vaccine procurement was well-planned and delivery through the NHS guaranteed success.

              However, we are facing a long-term challenge: it is not going to end even when we have vaccinated a large proportion of the UK population. An efficient test and trace, face-masking and some social distancing are likely to be required for some time.

              Vaccine protection is likely to be time limited. We have only just started the first vaccination round and South Africa has already halted the use of the Astra Zeneca vaccines due to concerns about limited efficacy against their variant. Vaccine boosters with coverage against new strains might be required at regular intervals, as for Influenza.

              In this race there are no winners until when we have all crossed the finish line, and it may take until 2024 to vaccinate the world population. As long as high-level circulation continues in other countries, there will still be a risk for the emergence of new variants capable of restarting the pandemic even in countries with a high vaccination rate.  

              To stop the pandemic, we need something like 75% of the world population to receive vaccines with a high level of efficacy against variants.

              Countries acting individually will not deliver the number of vaccines the world needs (Zosia Kmietowicz in the British Medical Journal on 6 February). Joint vaccine procurement schemes, as used by the EU and the African Union, are slower to set up but ensure equitable vaccine distribution at lower prices.

              Vaccinations in middle- and low-income countries largely rely on Covax, an internationally-funded joint procurement scheme: this scheme needs further strengthening.

              In Aesop’s fable the hare sprints ahead of the tortoise but gets distracted and loses the race. In the Covid-19 race both hares and tortoises need to get smarter and work together.

              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              Resolution in the time of Covid

              Next Post

              Child poverty: a matter of urgency

              Giuseppe Bignardi

              Giuseppe Bignardi

              Giuseppe Bignardi is a retired Microbiology/Infection NHS Consultant

              Related Posts

              RMT Union banner
              Politics

              When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

              byChristopher Massey
              August 9, 2022
              Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley
              Opinion

              Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

              byPeter Benson
              August 4, 2022
              Border control at Dover
              European News

              The moral argument for open borders

              byDavid Rose
              August 3, 2022
              the quilt
              Culture

              Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

              byYvonne Wanckeand1 others
              August 1, 2022
              Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.
              Education

              Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

              byRaul Zepeda Gil
              August 1, 2022
              Next Post
              Child's face

              Child poverty: a matter of urgency

              Want to support us?

              Can you help North East Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the North East Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              DCFO Peter Heath

              Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

              August 9, 2022
              Master Chef of Great Britain

              Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

              August 9, 2022
              RMT Union banner

              When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

              August 9, 2022
              Prezzo

              Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

              August 8, 2022
              street in Naples

              Five books to read that bring Naples to life

              August 7, 2022
              Derry Girls mural

              Derry Girls: from the beginning

              August 6, 2022

              MOST READ

              DCFO Peter Heath

              Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

              August 9, 2022
              Master Chef of Great Britain

              Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

              August 9, 2022
              RMT Union banner

              When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

              August 9, 2022
              Prezzo

              Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

              August 8, 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Social Media Teesside TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

              North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Letters
              • Donate
              • Privacy
              • Bylines network
              • Shop

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • UK News
                • Transport
                • World News
              • Politics
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Culture
                • Music
                • Poetry
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • Boriiis Cartoons
              • Authors

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In