Wealthy nations starved the developing world of vaccines. Omicron shows the cost of this greed

The suspension of the intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines was a main topic of the cancelled World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting. – AFP

WE don’t yet know how dangerous the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 will turn out to be. Early evidence suggests it may be more transmissible than other variants, and the World Health Organization has raised concerns about its potential to spark another global surge in infections.

If currently available vaccines continue to protect us from severe disease and death, which seems likely at this stage, vaccinated people in developed countries should be able to breathe a sigh of relief.