Protestors gather outside United Nations General Assembly to demand an end to 'vaccine apartheid' which sees poorer countries pushed to the back of the queue
Hundreds of people protested outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday over the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine across the globe.
Health Gap and the People's Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of activist equality organizations, held a protest against 'vaccine apartheid' — their description of the global Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
The group are demanding extra vaccine production and also for the technology used to make the jab to be shared more widely to ensure more local production around the world.
More than 5 billion vaccine shots have been administered worldwide, with 81% across ten high and upper middle-income countries.
Protesters in masks depicting US President Joe Biden act as people hold a die-in and blocking 2nd Avenue during a protest near United Nations headquarters
Protesters hold placards demanding equal access to the covid-19 vaccine, in New York city
Protestors in masks depicting US President Joe Biden attend a protest near the United Nations
Many countries around the world with fewer resources have not had access to sufficient supply of the vaccines against COVID-19 and the protestors hope to make their point
People march during a protest near United Nations headquarters call on US President Joe Biden and the international community to help provide wider access to the COVID-19 vaccine
Activists demand a change to the United Nations and United States approach to ending the pandemic and 'Vaccine Apartheid' outside the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan
An activist wears a rubber mask of U.S. President Joe Biden at a protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid'
The U.N.-backed vaccine program is so far behind schedule that not even 10 percent of the population in poor countries is fully vaccinated.
Less than four percent of the population of African has been vaccinated. Millions of healthcare workers on the continent also remain unvaccinated.
The U.S. has pledged to donate more than 600 million doses and to increase manufacturing of the vaccine in the United States, India and South Africa.
'A year ago, the barrier to beating this cruel disease was science. Today it is inequality. We have the ability to vaccinate the world and to end this pandemic. But instead, rich countries are hoarding vaccines and protecting the profits of their pharmaceutical corporations instead of saving lives,' a statement by the People's Vaccine Alliance read.
'Rich countries have bought more vaccine doses than they could ever use – while the rest of the world has minimal access to protection. A handful of pharmaceutical corporations dictate the manufacturing, distribution, and cost of the vaccine – they get to decide who lives and who dies- despite the fact that they created many of these vaccines with public money.
'This is particularly short-sighted because epidemiologists say the virus is mutating rapidly. This means the vaccines that the rich and powerful are presently hoarding could be ineffective within a year – posing a risk to us all. Elected officials have the chance right now to end vaccine apartheid and save millions of lives,' the activist group charge.
Activists protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid' outside the United Nations Headquarters
Activists held up tombstones displaying the number of deaths in each of the various countries
The protestors are calling on the international community to help provide wider access to the COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccine costs have pushed many developing countries to the end of the COVID-19 vaccination queue, with most low-income ones not even able to line up
As richer nations are buying up more vaccines for third shots, vaccination inequities are becoming starker
Activists explained their protest through a series of speeches via the use of a megaphone
The protest took place directly outside the United Nations HQ
Activists dressed up as President Biden with symbolic blood on their hands
The protest appeared symbolic but got ints message across loud and clear
Many of the protestors appeared to lay the blame with President Biden
On Monday, activists staged called on President Biden to 'end vaccine apartheid.'
Nearly 60 human rights and other advocacy groups sent a letter to him in the hopes of urging him to back a $25 billion investment.
The money would see eight billion doses of the vaccine produced over the course of a year.
'Our best chance of all staying safe is to ensure a COVID-19 vaccine is available for all as a global common good. This will only be possible with a transformation in how vaccines are produced and distributed — pharmaceutical corporations must allow the COVID-19 vaccines to be produced as widely as possible by sharing their knowledge free from patents,' a statement on People's Vaccine Alliance reads.
'Instead they are protecting their monopolies and putting up barriers to restrict production and drive up prices, leaving us all in danger. No one company can produce enough for the whole world. So long as vaccine solutions are kept under lock and key, there won't be enough to go around. We need a People's Vaccine, not a profit vaccine.'
Doctor Oni Blackstock speaks at a protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid'
Activists marched along streets close to the UN where world leaders are gathering
The activists want to see a vaccine delivered without profit at its core
Protesters hold placards demanding equal access to the covid-19 vaccine, in New York city near where the high-level 76th session of the UN General Assembly is taking place
The protestors held signs showing the numbers of people who had died in various countries together with 'End Vaccine Apartheid Now' placards
