On August 10, GSL Director Steven Hoffman was quoted in a Globe and Mail article on the debate over whether to administer booster shots in Canada, as countries such as Israel, France and Germany are moving ahead with plans to offer third doses to certain groups, and vaccine manufacturers suggest booster shots offer greater protection against illness.
In the article, Hoffman argues that Canada should donate its surplus vaccines to COVAX, the non-profit program that supplies low-income countries. He further called the decision to offer booster shots to a country’s population when most of the world has not had the opportunity to get even a single one “the most selfish thing a government could do right now.”
While there have been vaccine donations in the recent past, Hoffman explains that the timing of these donations is important as well. If the donated doses are close to expiry, they “become a Trojan horse whereby on first glance it looks generous, but actually it just transfers the accountability for wastage to poor countries that frankly have less capacity to quickly make use of them.”
Read the full article here.
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