Bill Gates says hoarding Covid-19 vaccines could double deaths: Wealthy countries across the globe have preemptively bought nearly 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines while they’re still in the research pipeline. The US has bought 800 million doses. The UK has bought 340 million, or roughly 5 doses for every person within the country. Japan and the European Union have also purchased hundreds of millions of doses.
That degree of preparation is meant to speed the delivery of vaccines and avert more deaths. But a new report from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation suggests that inequity in these pre-orders will actually increase global mortality from the virus.
