What are the biggest threats to COVID vaccine campaigns?
Interpol warns of an organised crime threat
COVID vaccines are seemingly the target of organised criminal networks as INTERPOL, the policing organisation that allows global policing cooperation, has warned of an increase in the falsification, theft and illegal advertising of COVID-19 vaccines. Such predatory and opportunistic criminal behaviour has become clear throughout the pandemic with various major PPE fraud scandals, and even low-level mask repackaging scandals, taking place across the world. China has already arrested more that 80 people in connection with fake vaccine crime, while INTERPOL has specifically warned of the online dangers of COVID-related fraud schemes. Such scams take advantage of the huge growths in demand, but could ultimately undermine public health, public safety, and undermine confidence in vaccine campaigns in doing so.
interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2020/INTERPOL-warns-of-organized-crime-threat-to-COVID-19-vaccines edition.cnn.com/2021/02/01/asia/china-fake-covid-vaccines-intl/index.html forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/05/27/almost-800-million-in-mask-scams-alleged-in-the-us-alone/?sh=349a19a4f712 digital.wf.com/treasuryinsights/portfolio-items/tm3255
The WHO warns of “moral failure”
The WHO warns of moral failure in global vaccine campaigns as the result of a growing vaccine apartheid between richer and poorer nations. Vaccine hoarding in richer nations is likely to lead to younger less vulnerable people in richer nations being immunised before some of the most vulnerable people in poorer states. Director General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said, "Ultimately, these actions will only prolong the pandemic, the restrictions needed to contain it, and human and economic suffering" [1]. The WHO are urging nations to support Covax, their global vaccine-sharing scheme, as a solution to this vaccine apartheid.