Vaccine Passports have been a main topic of conversation in the past few days. Last year I was scoffed at for bringing this up and it was even denoted as being a conspiracy theory. However, they do make sense currently and the news on this is they might just become a reality very soon for the entire world. The topic has caused certain concerns and now being called a ‘flashpoint of vaccine political wars’ abroad. Amongst all this comes ‘Vaccine Hierarchy’ which also in terms of travel seems to be imminent as suddenly vaccines have been categorized in a tiered social order which may lead to future inequities.
The subject of Vaccine Passports across the world have created contentions in what is termed as vaccine politics. There have been concerns on personal data sharing as well as rebuttals from anti-vaxxers.
What would all this mean for developing countries who are behind on starting their inoculation process? Would this leave them out entirely in terms of travel, business, and other interactions in the near future?
Vaccine cards for travel are nothing new, developing countries such as Pakistan have been carrying vaccine cards for polio in passports for several years now. However, the country is bracing itself as it tries to keep up with the rest of the world in mass Covid-19 inoculations. Introducing Vaccine Passports immediately for developing countries, which will not see a majority of the population vaccinated this year, may seem detrimental unless a temporary solution or alleviation is given.
What will it mean for developing countries that are lagging behind the inoculation process? Will they be entirely excluded from travel, business, and other interactions in the near future?
In Pakistan, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine brought in via private channels is being regarded as rather ‘heroic’ despite its hefty price tag (currently approximately $40 per jab). Yet registrations for it have been overbooked as it seems people are willing to pay for it. Reports said an overall 500,000 people had registered for it within days. It has been clear that it was a good decision by the government to allow these to come in.
The authorities here ran a good campaign for private vaccinations. “We pay for ours so others can get theirs free”, thus, encouraging citizens who could afford to, go get themselves vaccinated. In a developing country with a shortage of vaccinations this was a good idea. The free or cost vaccines that were donated through diplomatic relations can now be utilized for the underprivileged which make up for a large majority. A good strategy to combat both vaccine hesitancy and also take care of the tiers and rollout quickly.
One feedback from the first day goer who bought the Sputnik V jab privately, said they would have paid above for a $50 per jab given they had a choice from an approved American one. But they took the next best thing available here.
One thing is sure, Vaccine Hierarchy has begun and governments will be giving dictates to each other on which ones are considered ‘acceptable’ to enter their countries. News also comes that certain Chinese vaccines remain unapproved, which have also been distributed amongst several developing countries. What is approved in one country does not seem have been given a go ahead in another.
The top coveted vaccines remain the American ones (till date Pfizer and Moderna) as research show rates of efficacy as well as an increase in global demand for these. Under the new administration, the Americans have certainly taken the lead in their vaccine rollout with great efficiency.
Despite all concerns, one understands that a Vaccine Passport may be a good thing to track healthcare related data as well as curtail possible future pandemics. A focus on Healthcare data will be key for this new world to survive.
The more data we share amongst countries, the more we will be able to safeguard from cross border outbreaks of any kind in the future. These unified systems could also be used in the future to develop a unique universal healthcare for the world. Perhaps even one globally accepted vaccine soon. As questions remain poised, we wait for updated information to develop on this in a changed world.
The writer is known for her articles on Cultural Impact Change