BOGOTA (Reuters) – The unequal distribution of vaccines which protect against COVID-19 is the weak point in efforts to combat the disease in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.
“Vaccine inequity remains the Achilles’ heel of our response,” PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne said during the organization’s weekly virtual briefing.
Production delays mean many countries are still waiting to receive doses purchased months ago, she said, and pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing price and country of origin, rather than need, when making distribution decisions.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb, Editing by Franklin Paul)