(Our Bureau, June 11)
The Group of Seven wealthy nations (G7) is set to donate 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine jabs to poorer countries. It comes following growing calls for developed countries to share more vaccine jabs with the rest of the world even as charities warned the current situation is leading to “vaccine apartheid”. The announcement is expected to be made at the G7 summit which begins in Southwest England. Yesterday, US President Joe Biden pledged to step up the battle against the pandemic with a donation of 500 million Pfizer shots. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would give at least 100 million surplus jabs. Johnson has already called on G7 leaders to agree on vaccinating the entire world by the end of 2022. “As a result of the success of the UK’s vaccine programme we are now in a position to share some of our surplus doses with those who need them,” Johnson will say today, according to excerpts of the announcement released by his office.
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