Africa’s vaccine deficit presents risks of variance

Significance

Both the WHO and African Union (AU) have called for a moratorium on booster shot programmes to allow more supply to flow to regions such as Africa, where vaccination numbers remain extremely low.

Impacts

• High prevalence of co-morbidities such as HIV may require African nations to consider additional protective measures beyond vaccines.
• New cooperative initiatives across Africa represent a step towards self-sufficiency, but only if they are sustained.
• High transmission of new variants may force governments to consider new lockdowns, further slowing economic recovery.