World Vision welcomes the announcement that an effective vaccine could soon be available and calls on global leaders to
that any vaccine rollout reaches the most vulnerable people around the globe.
News of the development of a COVID-19 vaccine willbring hope to millions, particularly the world’s
mostat-riskpeoplewhose livesare threatened by the pandemicand whose livelihoods have been decimated by thevirus.
Those who are vulnerableinclude refugees in crowdedcamps,peopleliving in urban slums where the virus spreads
moreeasily,the poorest who have sufferedgreatly underlockdowns,many minority populations,and children made more
vulnerable by the collapse of family livelihoods.
It is now vital that, if approved for roll out by the World HealthOrganisation, the vaccine be administered safely and
fairly.Global leaders must ensure that first phase allocations are used both strategically tocontainthe pandemic, and
morally toprioritise the most vulnerable and highest risk people.In the meantime, it iscriticalthat people continue to
adhere to prevention measures designed tocontainthe spread of COVID-19.
World Vision has decades of experience partnering with communities in the developing world to combat the spread and
impact of HIV and AIDS,Ebolaand childhood diseases.We know thatfor the eventual vaccines to be taken up effectively we
mustengage communities and that the role of local leaders including faith leaders, community health and development
workers is vital toensure its acceptance.
“We stand ready toassistin aglobalvaccine roll-outcampaignand to engage the hundreds of thousands of faith leaders and
over 200,000 local health workers we already work with at community level” saidDan Irvine, Senior Director, Health and
Nutrition, World VisionInternational.
World Visionworksinsome of the world’s remotest, mostdangerous,and challenging environments.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impacts have reversed decades of development gains in just months, so we are
deeply thankful for all scientists who have worked tirelessly to develop avaccine.
Read more about World Vision’s COVID response programme that has reached 54 million people in 70 countries here