Covid-19 vaccines: Until the whole world is protected, is anyone safe?

Rather than concentrating on booster campaigns, why isn't the developed world advocating for an intellectual property waiver to allow poorer countries to manufacture enough doses to vaccinate their population against Covid?

A man wearing an alternative mask in Kampala,  Uganda, in April 2020. Ireland has donated 335,000 vaccine doses to Uganda via direct donation. Photo: SUMY SADURNI/AFP via Getty Images

As the world struggles to find a way to live with Covid-19, one truth is becoming clearer - until the whole planet is protected from the virus the world cannot return to what it once considered normal.

Unfortunately, while the developed world has now for the most part reached heightened levels of vaccination among its various populations, the same can not be said for developing countries. Ireland has long since breached the 90% mark for adult vaccinations, something we haven’t been shy in patting ourselves on the back for.