Bill Gates said access to the vaccine should be based on medical necessity, not wealth.
Washington:
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, whose foundation has been part of the effort to develop and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, warned Sunday that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Unfortunately, the next four to six months could be the worst of the pandemic. The IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) forecast shows more than 200,000 additional deaths. If we followed the rules, in terms of wearing masks and not Mix it up, we could prevent a large percentage of those deaths, “Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told CNN.
In recent weeks, the United States is experiencing a record number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations. “I thought the United States would do a better job handling it,” said Gates, who in 2015 had warned the world of such a pandemic.
“In general, when I made the forecasts in 2015, I talked about how the deaths could be higher. So this virus could be more fatal than it is. We didn’t get the worst case scenario. But what has surprised me is that the economic impact in the United States and around the world has been much greater than the forecasts I made five years ago, “he said.
COVID-19 has so far killed more than 290,000 people in the United States.
Gates said his Foundation has been funding much of the vaccine research. “We are very agile. We are partners in something called CEPI, which is the second largest donor after the United States government,” he said.
“So in diagnostics, therapy and vaccines, we know where the science is, we know how the pieces need to come together urgently. And so our experience in infectious diseases, which normally only relates to developing countries, is it applies to the whole world because of this crisis, “he added.
The United States needs to help all of humanity, Gates said when asked about the executive order signed by President Donald Trump that prioritizes distribution of the vaccine to Americans before it reaches people in other countries.
“We want the global economy to work. We want to minimize deaths. And, you know, the core technology is a German company. So blocking international exchange and cooperation has been disruptive and a mistake throughout this pandemic,” he said . .
“So we need to increase the capacity of all vaccines. There will be some additional ones approved in the coming months that will be easier to scale up manufacturing. But the US has benefited from attention at work from other countries, and We “shouldn’t be completely selfish in the way we move forward,” he added.
Responding to a question, Gates said he will take the vaccine publicly, as former US President Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama have said, to increase people’s confidence in the vaccine.
“I will do the same. When it is my turn, I will not give in, but when it comes my turn, I will visibly take the vaccine, because I think it is a benefit for all people not to be transmitting,” he said.
Gates said access to the vaccine should be based on medical necessity, not wealth.
“After all, this epidemic has been terrible in the way that it has exacerbated inequalities. It has been worse for Hispanics, worse for blacks, worse for low-income service workers, multi-generational households, a number of things. What does that mean, in terms of selecting who gets the vaccine, we better use equity to drive all those decisions, “he said.
Despite the availability of the vaccine, Gates said the next four to six months really does demand that Americans do the best they can. “Because we can see this will end, and you don’t want someone you love to be the last to die from coronavirus,” he said.
“Certainly wearing masks is essentially without drawbacks. They are inexpensive. Bars and restaurants in most parts of the country will be closed as we get into this wave. And I think, sadly, that’s appropriate. Depending on how severe In other words, the decision on schools is much more complicated, because there the benefits are quite high, the amount of transmission is not the same as in restaurants and bars ”, said Gates.
In response to another question, Gates said the “transition is complicating” the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“But the new administration is willing to rely on real experts and not attack those experts. They are making clear plans. So, I think we will get through this in a positive way. I’m satisfied with the people and the priority that President-elect Biden , and his team are contributing to this problem, “he said.
“Biden is doing his best to retain Francis Collins and Tony Fauci and add them to that strong group of people. These are people who are willing to admit when things aren’t going well and deliver tough messages, particularly about the next four to six. months. So I think America will not be one of the worst players when the team takes office, “Gates said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel.)
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