Boris Johnson urges G7 to vaccinate world by end of 2022

UK prime minister wants 'concrete commitments' at Cornwall summit

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are unloaded at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. The doses are part of the international Covax scheme against the Covid-19 coronavirus. Reuters

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are unloaded by workers at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. The doses are part of the international Covax scheme against the Covid-19 coronavirus. Reuters

Boxes of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines made by the Serum Institute of India and provided through the global Covax initiative arrive at Mogadishu, Somalia. The first shipment of 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine will be used to inoculate the country's frontline workers, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. AP

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are unloaded by workers at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. The doses are part of the international Covax scheme against the Covid-19 coronavirus. Reuters

Provided through the global Covax initiative, Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines arrive at Mogadishu, Somalia. The first shipment of 300,000 doses of the vaccine will be used to inoculate the country's frontline workers, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. Reuters

A nurse displays the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reuters

A man receives the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covax scheme at the Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reuters

A nurse prepares to administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covax programme against Covid-19 at the Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reuters

A man is vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covax scheme against the coronavirus at the Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reuters

Boris Johnson will use next week's G7 summit to urge the world's largest economies to pledge to vaccinate the global population from Covid-19 by the end of 2022.

The UK prime minister said it would be "the single greatest feat in medical history” if the goal was achieved next year.

At the summit in Cornwall, the first meeting of G7 leaders since the start of the pandemic, Mr Johnson will ask for “concrete commitments” to inoculate the world by the end of 2022, a UK government statement said.

“Next week the leaders of the world’s greatest democracies will gather at an historic moment for our countries and for the planet,” Mr Johnson said.

“The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values.

“Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

“I’m calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end to this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again,” he added.

The global recovery from the pandemic is expected to be the primary topic of discussions at the three-day summit next week.

Britain has previously vowed to donate surplus vaccines to Covax, the scheme aimed at ensuring poorer countries do not get left behind in the inoculation push.

But earlier this week the UK government was urged to do more.

A letter to Mr Johnson from charity chiefs said “the UK must now show the historic leadership needed to end this crisis, by sharing at least 20 per cent of available doses between now and August”.

“As president of the G7, the UK has the opportunity to set the standard for global action on sharing doses. Three months ago, you proudly pledged that the UK would share vaccines with the world. Now we ask that you turn this pledge into reality,” said the letter from Jeremy Farrar, director of health research charity Wellcome Trust, and Steven Waugh, head of Unicef’s UK office.

“The staggering progress with our national roll-out, combined with everyone playing their part in respecting tough but necessary restrictions, means we are on the cusp of all restrictions lifting.

“Freedom will however be short lived if the UK fails to share access to the huge supply of vaccines it has secured – enough to fully vaccinate the entire UK population twice over.”