Refusing a Covid-19 booster shot won’t save lives in poorer countries. Here’s why

Simple math: Rather than fighting over a limited supply of vaccine, we simply must produce more. — Bloomberg

THE call to give Americans a third dose of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine has generated a vigorous and at times acrimonious debate among scientists, bioethicists and health policy experts. Many question the need for a booster shot at all; others highlight the potential vaccine inequities; some ask whether this action might thwart our ability to halt the pandemic.

On Wednesday, World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on wealthy countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots until the end of the year.