Presidents of Mexico and Argentina: Increase vaccine supplies to poor countries

The presidents of Mexico and of Argentine jointly exerted pressure yesterday, Tuesday, February 23, on United Nations and the richest countries in the world to increase access for poorer countries to vaccines for the new coronavirus, as the effort made so far is still very inadequate, as they deemed appropriate.

Ο Andrés Manuel López Obrador emphasized that his program UN which aims to guarantee that poorer countries will receive vaccines, has had very little effect: 80% of supplies are concentrated in 10 countries, he explained, describing the situation as «completely unfair.».

«What became of that universal brotherhood?» asked the Mexican president during a joint press conference with his Argentine counterpart. Alberto Fernández, visiting Mexico.

«The UN must intervene, because at the moment it looks like a vase for flowers, like a decorative element,» Mr. López Obrador added pointedly.

Mr. Fernandes agreed with his Mexican counterpart, noting that he is exerting pressure together with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in order for vaccines to be classified «global public good» by the Group of Twenty (G20), in which both countries participate.

According to the Oxford-based research group Our World In Data, Mexico has administered 1.3 vaccines per 100 inhabitants so far, while Argentina has administered 1.6. By comparison, the UK has administered 27.0 per 100 inhabitants, and the US 19.2. The global average is no more than 2.7/100, according to the group's data.

The increasingly acute inequalities in access to vaccines are drawing criticism, with almost all countries, except for the world's richest, forced to wait months, if not years, before they can begin immunizing their populations.

Mr. López Obrador accused the richest countries of «hoarding» vaccine doses.. His government's foreign minister, Marcelo Ambard, expressed concern about this at the UN Security Council.

Mr. Embrad stressed that the Mexican government feels desperate as vaccines have not yet arrived in the country through COVAX, the mechanism led by the World Health Organization that aims to guarantee equal access.

The governments of Mexico and Argentina are particularly criticized for the slow pace and other aspects of their immunization campaigns. Furthermore, their joint plan to proceed with the production of the vaccine AstraZeneca and distribute it throughout Latin America and the Caribbean has not borne fruit so far.

The Mexican president said yesterday that the first doses of AstraZeneca's product will begin distribution in early April. Until now, his government and that of his Argentine counterpart had said that distribution would begin in March.

Mr. Fernandes is on the defensive after the scandal caused by revelations about preferential vaccinations for figures close to his government, which forced him to ask for the resignation of the health minister. Mr. López Obrador is also defending himself against accusations of delays in the arrival of vaccine doses.

The Mexican president, who recently contracted the novel coronavirus, has also been criticized for refusing to wear a mask during public appearances. He did not wear one during his meeting with Mr. Fernández, who, in contrast, wore a mask yesterday.