It’s important nations “work together” and not hoard vaccines, said Bishop Denis Nulty, as he warned that the Covid-19 pandemic can only end once everyone is vaccinated.
That bishop’s call comes as figures reveal that the EU, US and Japan have purchased one billion more vaccine doses than their population needs.
“It’s crucial ethical question and issue,” Bishop Nulty told the Irish Catholic. “Obviously we all want to be vaccinated – but maybe we’re looking to get too many vaccines into our country for the population we have. People in poorer areas, the developing world, will not be able to access vaccines as well and as easily.”
Ireland should use its voice in Europe to advocate for fair vaccine distribution to the developing world, the bishop of Kildare and Leighlin continued.
“We need to be strong on that in trying to set an example,” Bishop Nulty said.
In recent days, both Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have indicated a desire to tackle the “accelerated growth of global inequality” as a result of Covid-19.
Bishop Nulty said that while it will be a challenge, the Covid-19 pandemic will only end once every country has been vaccinated.
“If we vaccinate all of Ireland and say the vaccine hasn’t taken hold in Africa, we’re not out of Covid,” Bishop Nulty said. “We talk about wanting to get around the corner of Covid – that happens when the whole world is vaccinated. That’s hard, it hasn’t happened before, it’s asking for a complete re-think about how we operate our world systems.”
Bishop Nulty called on Ireland maintain its “tremendous tradition of charity”, saying that “our contribution could be giving something of our vaccine distribution to make sure that the voices of the poorer countries are also heard”.
