“we’re planning to hand out extra lifejackets to people who already have lifejackets, while we’re leaving other people to drown without a single lifejacket,” said dr. mike ryan, director of the who’s health emergency program this week.
on wednesday, the u.s. government said it planned to make booster shots widely available beginning in september. other countries, including germany, are offering them to more vulnerable residents.
in coming months, canadian officials will grapple with the difficult ethical questions of whether to allow more people to get a third dose amid a dangerous variant when much of the world remains unvaccinated.
“it is a tough question,” said dr. kumanan wilson, a senior researcher at the ottawa hospital research institute and ceo of canimmunize inc., an ottawa company specializing in immunization software.
“from a global equity point of view, we need to make sure vaccines are distributed everywhere. but we live in a democracy where we have to respond to the electorate. for a political party to say it is not going to give boosters would be difficult,” he said — especially if cases and hospitalizations rise during the fourth wave.
“i do think we are going to end up there.” part of the reason, he said, is the nature of the delta variant.