The G7’s vaccine pledge is at least 5 billion doses short

The Group of Seven (G7), a coalition of the world’s seven wealthiest democracies, announced on June 13 it will purchase and donate 1 billion vaccine doses to low-income countries over the next 12 months, with at least 700 million doses distributed before the end of this year. It is also one that falls far short of the global need, particularly at a time when the Delta variant, against which existing vaccines are less effective, is spreading rapidly. The new doses will be added to the 2 billion doses the Covax partnership—an international coalition to distribute vaccines to low-income countries—plans to secure by the end of 2021.