Omicron and global vaccine inequity

Omicron or B.1.1.529 is the latest coronavirus “variant of concern,” recently designated as such by the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was first identified in South Africa and is believed to be responsible for triggering a recent surge of cases in that country. In addition to South Africa, cases of the new variant have been reported in Botswana, Israel, Hong Kong, and Belgium.

There are concerns that the Omicron variant is more infectious than other coronavirus variants, including the predominant Delta variant. It has more than 30 mutations in the part of the virus that vaccines target, thereby raising serious concerns that it could evade antibodies from prior infection or vaccination. However, the actual risks of the variant are not yet fully understood. It will take some time to determine how dangerous it is compared to other identified variants, and if current vaccines are less effective against it.

But, while the WHO and the general scientific community are figuring out how much of a risk the Omicron variant poses, many countries have acted quickly and imposed travel restrictions on flights from countries in southern Africa. In a number of cases, such restrictions were put in place within hours of the international community learning about the new variant; a KLM flight from Capetown, South Africa had to spend four hours on the edge of the tarmac of Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport as it waited for special testing to be conducted.

On Nov. 26, the Philippines suspended flights from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique to prevent the entry of the Omicron variant into the country. The suspension is effective until Dec. 15. On. Dec. 8, Malacañang also announced the suspension of flights from France, which is recording a new surge in infections; the ban started last Monday, Dec. 13. There are ongoing discussions in the government whether the list of countries with temporary travel bans should still be expanded.

Despite warnings from medical experts and the WHO not to overreact before the variant has been thoroughly studied, many countries are clearly not taking any risks and have taken precautions by imposing travel restrictions on countries with known cases of the Omicron variant. One can’t judge the actions taken by the countries to prevent the entry and spread of the new variant in their respective jurisdictions. For the Philippines with a vaccination rate of less than 40 percent, the measure appears to be needed to prevent undoing any progress made so far and buy time to increase the vaccination rate.

However, we also need to reflect and consider how the world has gotten into this situation again. The WHO and other expert bodies have repeatedly warned that if significant numbers of the global population aren’t vaccinated, the virus will just keep mutating. The emergence of the Omicron variant shows that the issue of vaccine inequity needs to be tackled head-on and effectively addressed. It is not a coincidence that the new variant was first identified in Africa; the continent has fewer than 6 percent of its people vaccinated, and millions of health care workers there have yet to receive their first dose. Yet in advanced countries, there is already a discussion of considering three doses as the standard for full vaccination. Requiring a third dose will accordingly affect the supply of vaccines that will be made available to poor countries, particularly those in Africa.

The lingering pandemic is a global problem needing global solutions and cooperation. The Philippines has contributed to the COVAX facility, but it can do more: Push hard for the waiving of patent rights, for instance, so that production of vaccines can be increased and be made available to the countries that badly need them. The country might even benefit economically if it becomes part of the production and supply chain for vaccines. The bottom line is that we need everybody to be safe, not only within our borders but beyond it as well.

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Moira G. Gallaga served three Philippine presidents as presidential protocol officer, diplomatically posted to the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC.