“Now that you’ve been vaccinated, it’s time to give back:” UNICEF Canada’s chief program officer on how to mobilize Canadians for global vaccine equity
Why It Matters
As demonstrated most recently by the Omicron variant, getting the world vaccinated is not just the right thing to do — it’s the only way to end the pandemic for everyone. Canadians with the privilege of access to full vaccination are well-positioned to mobilize to make this happen.
The pandemic ends for no one until it ends for everyone.
Advocates for global vaccine equity have repeated this mantra throughout the course of COVID-19, but still, inequity is playing out on a global scale perhaps more starkly than ever before. While 85 percent of eligible Canadians have gotten their first vaccination dose, a mere 6 percent of those eligible in low-income countries have received theirs.
That disparity is due to both supply and delivery issues, says Rowena Pinto, chief program officer for UNICEF Canada — and that’s why the organization launched its #GiveAVax campaign in July of 2021. The campaign is still active, and allows Canadians to donate money toward UNICEF’s work vaccinating people in low-income countries.
#GiveAVax has raised a total of $17.7 million since its launch in September, with $9.6 million being matched by the
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