COVID cases surge in the Americas amidst vaccine inequality and Delta spread: PAHO

Cases of coronavirus across the twin continents of the Americas have soared to almost double as compared to last year, according to Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). Triggered by the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, nearly 1.5 million new cases with more than 22,000 fatalities were reported last week across both continents. Addressing media reporters on Wednesday, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne blamed rising infections on vaccine nationalism and stockpiling.   

Substantiating her claim, Etienne disclosed that only 28 per cent of residents in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated so far. Reasoning that it was largely due to limited supplies, she called for vaccine equality. The health official, furthermore, said that the "inequality was unacceptable" and highlighted that while rich countries like Canada and Chile have inoculated a majority of their population, there are countries in the south, which have not yet been able to vaccinate even 20 per cent of residents. 

'Limited Supplies'

 “While we should celebrate that Canada, Chile, and Uruguay have fully over two-thirds of their populations,” Etienne said, “We cannot forget that one-fourth of countries in our region have yet to vaccinate 20 percent of their people – and in some places, coverage is much lower.” She disclaosed that Guatemala and Nicaragua have not reached the 10 percent mark in vaccinations, while less than 1 percent of Haiti’s population is vaccinated.

Notably, the US, despite its "more than enough" supply of vaccines, is facing a dramatic surge in coronavirus caseload. The countrywide caseload reached 40,280,094 with 4,224,866 cases registered in just the past 28 days. Meanwhile, deaths also soared to 650,532, out of which 32,563 were reported in the past 28 days. Notably, two main causes of the infection surge are -- the highly transmissible Delta variant and the misinformation against vaccination.

The figure from Johns Hopkins University represents the total number of reported COVID positive infections, though health officials believe the actual number is far higher, according to a report by Fox News. While America witnessed a decline in caseload and hospitalisations earlier in spring, summer is witnessing an unprecedented crisis. Meanwhile, health officials have administered a total of 374,665,992 vaccine doses. It is imperative to note that some states like Mississippi are still battered by the inoculation crisis, pertaining to increased misinformation and reduction in medical staff. 

Image: AP