A key priority for the last two months of 2021 and for the full year 2022, across nations, will be to continue the fight against Covid. Only 39 per cent of the world has received both doses of the vaccine. Again, only 51 per cent of the global population has received one dose. Till about 80 per cent of the world has been inoculated, we will not be safe from COVID-19.

Within the overall goal of vaccinating the world expeditiously, priority should be given to nations in Africa and other developing countries, which have inoculated just two to three per cent of their population. Only 3.1 per cent of the population of low-income countries like Rwanda or Congo have received one dose. This is distressing.

Next, the priority has to be to administer the third booster dose of the vaccine, to health workers and senior citizens, who are vulnerable. The USA and almost all European countries have commenced this process. However, countries like India, which are short of vaccines, have not yet commenced administering the third dose. The gap between the first and the second doses is the highest in India at 12 to 16 weeks, due to the paucity of vaccines. The ideal time gap between the two doses should be about four to eight weeks.

A key challenge in vaccinating the entire world by 2022, will be to convince non-believers to take the vaccine. Vaccines have been in scarce supply. Many people were anxious to take them to protect themselves and their families. So, Governments did not have to persuade people to accept the vaccines.

My estimate is that in every country, there would be about 15 to 25 per cent of the people, who either do not believe in the vaccinations or have fears and reservations. These fence-sitters or non-believers will have to be persuaded or convinced to accept the vaccines for the common good. This will be a key challenge for governments and medical staff.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India