British PM Invites G7 Countries To Donate 1 Billion Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Wikimedia Commons/UK Prime Minister's Office)

JAKARTA - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects developed countries belonging to the Group of Seven (G7) to agree to donate 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries at a summit that will start this Friday.

This statement was issued by PM Johnson, after previously saying the UK would donate around 100 million doses of its vaccine to poor countries.

Britain is known to host the G7 leaders' summit for three days, 11-13 June in Carbis Bay. PM Johnson hopes that his G7 colleagues will commit to helping vaccinate the entire world by the end of 2022, by providing 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, the plan is referred to by some activity groups as a 'drop in the ocean', with Oxfam estimating that nearly 4 billion people will depend on COVAX for vaccines, the program that distributes COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

"As a result of the success of the UK vaccine program, we are now in a position to share some of our excess doses with those who need them," Johnson said on Friday 11 June, according to excerpts of the announcement released by his office.

"By doing so, we will take a huge step towards defeating this pandemic once and for all," said Boris Johnson.

COVID-19 has killed an estimated 3.9 million people and ravaged the global economy, with infections reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Scientists say the COVID-19 pandemic will only end after all countries are vaccinated. Britain is one of the leading countries in vaccinating its citizens, which has reached 77 percent. While the United States has reached 64 percent.

With the global population approaching 8 billion and most people needing two doses, and the anticipated need to procure booster injections to fight the new variant, activity circles cite the commitment of 1 billion doses as a first step, but a faster next step.

"The G7 goal of delivering 1 billion doses should be seen as an absolute minimum, and the time frame needs to accelerate," said Lis Wallace of anti-poverty campaign group ONE.

"We are in a race with this virus and the longer the lead, the greater the risk of a new, more dangerous variant that undermines global progress."

Of the UK's 100 million vaccines, 80 million will be donated to the COVAX program led by the World Health Organization (WHO). The remainder will be shared bilaterally with countries in need.

PM Johnson named President Joe Biden in calling on his fellow leaders to make similar pledges and for pharmaceutical companies to adopt the Oxford-AstraZeneca model of providing vaccines during the pandemic.

To note, the UK will receive vaccines that will be donated from stock it has purchased for its domestic program and will come from suppliers AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson&Johnson, Moderna, and others.