THE EDITOR: Vaccine nationalism is a reference that has become very popular recently but most people do not understand what the term means and the major impact it has against the covid19 fight globally.

According to Dr Amir Khan, vaccine nationalism occurs when wealthy, powerful governments sign agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers to supply their own populations with vaccines ahead of them becoming available for other countries. Certain countries use their influence and wealth to push themselves to the front of the line and bypass smaller countries that are supposedly "less influential."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed its concerns about this and there are fears that such unilateral deals with wealthy countries will make the vaccines inaccessible to those in some of the poorest parts of the world.

A few influential countries that hold interest in companies that manufacture vaccines went so far as to prohibit the exporting or distribution of raw materials that can be used to make the covid19 vaccine. All this is happening while infection rates and deaths increase in poorer countries due to the unavailability of vaccine doses.

TT as well as other smaller countries continue to face the challenge of obtaining vaccines even though we have the funds to make the purchase. In order to eliminate vaccine nationalism, practicality demands multilateral co-operation globally. Larger countries need to step up and do what is right.

The fight against covid19 is a worldwide one and no country should be left behind.

NIGEL SEENATHSINGH

San Fernando

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