With First Dibs on Vaccines, Rich Countries Have ‘Cleared the Shelves’

With First Dibs on Vaccines, Rich Countries Have ‘Cleared the Shelves’

The Road to a Coronavirus VaccineU.S. Vaccinations BeginAnswers to Your Vaccine Questions11 Things to KnowHow Pfizer's Vaccine WorksFrom Lab to YouWith First Dibs on Vaccines, Rich Countries Have ‘Cleared the Shelves'The U.S., Britain, Canada and others are hedging their bets, reserving doses that far outnumber their populations, as many poorer nations struggle to secure enough.By Megan Twohey, Keith Collins and Katie ThomasAs a growing number of coronavirus vaccines advance through clinical trials, wealthy countries are fueling an extraordinary gap in access around the world, laying claim to more than half the doses that could come on the market by the end of next year.While many poor nations may be able to vaccinate at most 20 percent of their populations in 2021, some of the world's richest countries have reserved enough doses to immunize their own multiple times over.









Vaccine preorders as a percentage of population





2





1





Preclinical





3





Clinical trial phase





100% of

population





High-income





200





300





400





500





600





Canada





United States





Expansion

options





U.K.





European Union





Australia





Chile





Israel





New Zealand





Hong Kong





Japan





Switzerland





South Korea





Kuwait





Taiwan





Italy





Panama





Upper-middle-income





Brazil





Indonesia





Mexico





Argentina





Ecuador





Latin America

(excluding Brazil)





Costa Rica





Turkey





Malaysia





Thailand





Peru





Venezuela





Lebanon





Kazakhstan





Mainland China





Jordan





Lower-middle-income





Vietnam





India





Uzbekistan





Nepal





Morocco





Egypt





El Salvador





Bangladesh





Moldova











Vaccine preorders as a percentage of population





2





1





Preclinical





3





Clinical trial phase





100% of

population





High-income





200





300





400





500





600





Canada





United States





Expansion

options





U.K.





European Union





Australia





Chile





Israel





New Zealand





Hong Kong





Japan





Switzerland





South Korea





Kuwait





Taiwan





Italy





Panama





Upper-middle-income





Brazil





Indonesia





Mexico





Argentina





Ecuador





Latin America

(excluding Brazil)





Costa Rica





Turkey





Malaysia





Thailand





Peru





Venezuela





Lebanon





Kazakhstan





Mainland China





Jordan





Lower-middle-income





Vietnam





India





Uzbekistan





Nepal





Morocco





Egypt





El Salvador





Bangladesh





Moldova





Sources: Duke University, Airfinity and the Unicef Covid-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard. Income classifications by World Bank.By The