ONE Responds to UK booster shot roll out

Today the Government is expected to announce it will proceed with a roll-out of third doses of COVID19 vaccines, or booster shots, for all adults over 50 in the UK. Responding to the news, The ONE Campaign urged the Government to go further and faster on ensuring global vaccine access and sharing doses with other countries.

Romilly Greenhill, UK Director of ONE, said:  “There is a real danger with booster shots that the more we use them the more we will need them, and the further we will be from ending the Pandemic. While it’s right for Governments to protect the most vulnerable in society, the only way out of this crisis is to focus on getting vaccines to the unvaccinated everywhere – not getting more doses for people who are already protected.

“The Government’s initial progress on vaccines was admirable, however, more recently it has become defined by a dangerous combination of dithering and hoarding that risks precious vaccines going unused while millions of people around the world go unprotected.

“It’s now essential that the Prime Minister goes into the US summit (1) this month with a genuine determination to do what it takes to end the pandemic. Otherwise, there is a real danger the virus will come back to haunt us here in the UK.” 

ENDS

1) US President Joe Biden has announced plans to ask world leaders for new commitments on dose sharing to end the pandemic.