Advocates warn most vulnerable must be included

Of 133 countries which UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, has information on, 81 have finalized their vaccination strategies and only 54 have included explicit provisions to cover populations of concern such as refugees, asylum seekers and stateless and internally displaced people.

Refugee advocates warn that failing to include these vulnerable populations, many of which live in crowded and impoverished conditions, ultimately undermines a nation’s efforts to stop the coronavirus. International law makes host countries responsible

for the health care of refugees and asylum seekers within their borders, but that norm has clashed with demands by some who say citizens should be prioritized.

Covax, the World Health Organization’s global vaccine program for ensuring a more equitable distribution, said it is working to craft an “emergency buffer” that would set aside about 5 percent of available doses for humanitarian and emergency use. Low- and middle-income countries host most refugees, according to UNHCR.

Jose Sarmento Matos / Bloomberg A health care worker administers the Pfizer vaccine to a colleague Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal.