UN chief flays rich countries for vaccine 'selfishness'

Wealthy nations "are getting an F in Ethics" due to the uneven distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic, drawing a sharp rebuke from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"A majority of the wealthier world vaccinated," Guterres told the U.N.General Assembly in a Tuesday address. "Over 90% of Africans still waiting for their first dose. This is a moral indictment of the state of our world."

That reprimand seemed to target Western powers, such as the United States and European countries in particular, where vaccines have been widely available for months. International monitors are slashing their forecasts for the number of vaccines that will be available in Africa by the end of the year. That disparity has contributed to debates about the prudence and justice of approving booster shots in wealthy countries when so much of the developing world remains unvaccinated.

"On the one hand, we see the vaccines developed in record time - a victory of science and human ingenuity," Guterres told the U.N. General Assembly in a Tuesday address. "On the other hand, we see that triumph undone by the tragedy of a lack of political will, selfishness, and mistrust." Biden made explicit his plan to "ensure Americans are taken care of first" in terms of vaccine access, drawing criticism from observers who heard an echo of former President Donald Trump's muchmaligned "America First" approach to foreign policy.

And a plan to fund the production of vaccines in India for distribution abroad has faltered due to the emergence of the delta variant, which prompted officials in New Delhi to restrict the export of vaccines.