COVID-19: 'Whole world' must be vaccinated says Boris Johnson at G7 summit

During the G-7 meeting, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the leaders that there is "no point" in vaccinating individual nations if the "whole world" does not receive the jab. Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson held the G-7 virtual meet with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United States. He discussed international challenges with world leaders. During the meeting, Johnson encouraged other developed nations to join the effort to increase the global vaccine supply. 

Vaccination must for all

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also pledged to donate the majority of the UK's surplus vaccines to poorer nations. During G-7 meet Johnson told the leaders, "Science is finally getting upper hand on covid. Around the world we need to make sure everyone gets the vaccines they need, so that the world can come through this pandemic together." He said, "There is no point in us vaccinating our individual populations - we have got to make sure the whole world is vaccinated because this is a global pandemic and it's no use one country being far ahead of another, we have got to move together."

Read: G-7 Vows 'equitable' World Vaccine Access, But Details Scant

Read: UK Urges UN Resolution For Pause In Conflicts For Virus Jabs

Leaders agreed to intensify cooperation

He said he wanted to "ensure that we distribute vaccines at a cost around the world - make sure everybody gets the vaccines that they need so that the whole world can come through this pandemic together." Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the meeting also asked the leaders for an increase in funding for Covax which is the multilateral global vaccine supply led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies. This was US President Joe Biden's first major multilateral engagement since taking office. After the G-7 meeting, the leaders issued a joint statement in which they agreed to "intensify cooperation" on ()covid pandemic. The G-7 leaders vowed to “make 2021 a turning point for multilateralism and to shape a recovery that promotes the health and prosperity of our people and planet.” 

Read: UK Vows To Share Vaccines, But Details Thin As G-7 Meets

Read: Lockdown Struggles In One Of UK's Poorest Towns