Vaccination is making slow progress in much of the world. While some are still waiting for vaccines, rich countries have them in abundance – and often leave them unused. It is shameful that the First World is breaking its promises.
Three questions will decide how long the world will have to endure the corona pandemic. The first is whether new, even more dangerous variants will emerge. Closely related to this is the second question: How long will the immunity of people who have already been vaccinated last? And finally, the third and, depending on the current situation, the most decisive: How high is the vaccination rate in each individual country? Because once community protection is high enough – the cold word of herd immunity has long been on the index – the epidemic loses its strength and dynamism. Yes, it will stay, but so do other diseases. Worldwide vaccination is the greatest global medical effort of our time.