Things seemed in place late last year. There was good news: human trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were successful, we found out in late November. As a result, rich countries ordered vaccine doses multiple times their population.
These countries could afford to make bets on different vaccine manufacturers, hedging against failure in the race against the coronavirus. The plan was to inoculate most people by spring and achieve close to universal coverage by fall.
Meanwhile, developing countries would have to scrounge through the remnants. An alliance called Covax, spearheaded by the World Health Organisation, would procure and distribute vaccines to them but it would only be able to do so for a small percentage of the population early on. Universal vaccination would have to wait, probably until well into 2022.
But it was all wishful thinking. Vaccine deliveries were delayed – partly because the vaccine roll-out was poorly planned and partly because companies experienced difficulties ramping up production to cater to their sovereign customers.
An agonising wait in Canada has begun until deliveries can resume at the scale needed to arrest the pandemic. Pfizer and Moderna deliveries have slowed, and the EU has introduced export controls that require countries in the bloc to seek authorisation before exporting vaccines. Canada's Pfizer doses are manufactured in Belgium. And while Ottawa has obtained verbal assurances that its shipments will not be affected, it really is a free for all that could change from one day to the next, and constitutes a garroting of the concept of international trade and solidarity, especially because the crisis was caused by the EU's slow, bureaucratic vaccine roll-out.
Of course, Canada has itself bungled the roll-out of whatever doses it has procured, because for some reason the crisis is not being treated with the urgency it deserves. According to figures compiled by the University of Oxford, Canada has administered 2.6 doses of the vaccines for every 100 people in the country, a figure that puts it far behind Israel, the UAE and the UK, Serbia, Malta, Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia.
Inequality has always led to the poorest paying a disproportionate price
There are many logistical challenges to distribution in a country as vast as Canada. The provinces are largely in charge of administering the vaccines, rather than the federal government, which only allocated them to the provinces. And special syringes had to be ordered to allow the extraction of six doses from each vial of Pfizer vaccine rather than five, to maximise supplies.
What should we glean from this? First, the competition over resources that was sparked by the pandemic, when countries tried to hoard personal protective equipment like masks, is in full force again over the vaccines. It is an ugly race, one that has highlighted the inequality between rich and poor on a global scale, and the miserliness of even the greatest proponents of co-operation and globalisation, such as the EU.
Perhaps it should not has come as a surprise that Europe, the fortress that entered a state of hysteria at the prospect of refugees seeking shelter on its shores, would now seek to limit the export of a vaccine that was developed by immigrants in Europe. But such is the irony of this zeitgeist. As some commentators in the European press noted, the EU’s actions are the best advertisement for Brexit.
The protectionism that is now the order of the day has pushed Canada into taking matters into its own hands. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a deal with pharmaceutical giant Novavax, whose vaccine candidate was submitted for approval late last week in the country. The deal will allow it to manufacture millions of doses of the vaccine at a plant in Montreal by fall. It is the first Covid-19 vaccine candidate that will be manufactured in Canada, that had so far relied on the usual rules of international trade to procure vaccines.
These struggles may as well be taking place in an alternate universe compared to the experiences of the rest of the world. Most developing countries, particularly in the Middle East, cannot afford the costly lockdowns that have been instituted in the West to limit to the spread of the virus. Nor do they have access to the vast resources that allow a country like Canada to pre-order vaccine doses multiple times its population. Instead they wait, with little to do but attempt to carry on with their lives, as the coronavirus ravages their communities.
The pandemic has re-ordered the lives, social structures and economies of much of the world, but it has not changed one key thing: the inequality that has always led to the poorest and most vulnerable paying a disproportionate price for our crises and failures endures. Rather than spark global solidarity against a common foe, too many have instead turned inward and miserly, and continue to act as if the reigning inequality is the natural order of things. It would a shame if this disease endured beyond the defeat of the coronavirus.
Kareem Shaheen is a veteran Middle East correspondent in Canada and a columnist for The National
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
%3Cp%3EMercedes-Benz's%20MBUX%20digital%20voice%20assistant%2C%20Hey%20Mercedes%2C%20allows%20users%20to%20set%20up%20commands%20for%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Navigation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Calls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20In-car%20climate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Ambient%20lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Media%20controls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Driver%20assistance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20General%20inquiries%20such%20as%20motor%20data%2C%20fuel%20consumption%20and%20next%20service%20schedule%2C%20and%20even%20funny%20questions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThere's%20also%20a%20hidden%20feature%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20pressing%20and%20holding%20the%20voice%20command%20button%20on%20the%20steering%20wheel%20activates%20the%20voice%20assistant%20on%20a%20connected%20smartphone%20%E2%80%93%20Siri%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%20or%20Google%20Assistant%20on%20Android%20%E2%80%93%20enabling%20a%20user%20to%20command%20the%20car%20even%20without%20Apple%20CarPlay%20or%20Android%20Auto%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Andor
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tony%20Gilroy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDiego%20Luna%2C%20Genevieve%20O'Reilly%2C%20Alex%20Ferns%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%205%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Vikram%20Vedha
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gayatri%2C%20Pushkar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hrithik%20Roshan%2C%20Saif%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Radhika%20Apte%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press