Travel (and jabs) for all

Hazel Plush reveals how your choice of holiday can help bring vaccines to the local people who need them most

By the end of September, all British adults will have been offered two vaccine doses – just as the booster rollout begins, and under-15s get their jabs too. But while we reap the rewards of Covid immunity, what about those in countries that are lagging behind? What about the Serengeti safari guides in Tanzania, where just 0.5 per cent of the population has been fully inoculated – or the Red Sea scuba instructors in Egypt (6.6 per cent)? Until the entire globe has access to vaccines, billions of people remain needlessly vulnerable to Covid – and to destitution, as their nations stagnate on the red list.

“Ending the pandemic is not only about you and your vaccine,” says James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com). “For travel to return, we need global vaccine equity.” To date, Intrepid has raised almost AU$100,000 (£53,500) for Unicef’s “Give the World a Shot” programme, which aims to distribute two billion doses to lower-income countries this year, as well as tackling vaccine misinformation via outreach programmes. This month, a similar fundraising initiative by Expedia (expedia. co.uk) drew to a close, having raised more than $10million (£7.2million) – for the cause. That is five million doses.

But even when doses are readily available, “fake news” and misinformation often threaten to derail the rollout – particularly in rural areas.

“There was an immense amount of resistance against the vaccine in Zambia originally,” says Natasha Parker, of Green Safaris (greensafaris.com), which operates in Zambia and Malawi – whose double-vaccine rates are 1.9 and 3.6 per cent respectively. Via its Africa-based personnel, the company witnessed first-hand the spread of falsehoods on social media – and the reluctance it sparked among locals. “Luckily, our managers were on the case,” says Parker. “They arranged information sessions so that people could ask questions, and address the rumours directly.” The campaign continued, with outreach programmes in the wider community. Now, the majority of Green Safaris’ personnel – and their families – are fully inoculated with Astra

Zeneca, or awaiting their second dose. In some cases, the barrier to vaccination is simple logistics: the lack of public transport to a healthcare centre, or a lengthy journey with a young family. But for travel companies with far-flung connections, that is a relatively easy fix.

In Peru (which is 33 per cent fully jabbed), Intrepid has provided free transport to a vaccination centre for those living in the Sacred Valley, and lobbied local government to open a hub in Calca, where many of its Inca Trail porters live.

In Botswana’s Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, tour operator Wilderness Safaris (wilderness-safaris.com) has helped 150 staff to access their jabs. Meanwhile, in Jamaica, Sandals (sandals.co.uk) has donated a former holiday resort, to be used as a vaccination hub.

And it’s not just tour operators and travel companies. Individuals can also make a difference – by contributing to Unicef ’s campaign, via vaccinaid.org.

A donation of just £3 is equivalent to two doses. After all, our own immunity means very little if the rest of the world isn’t fully jabbed too.

iGreen Safaris personnel experienced first-hand the level of mistrust towards the vaccine among local communities in Zambia