What the experts say | COVID and Children Vaccines: Doses, Distribution and the Great Divide LEADING MINDS ONLINE | 28 APRIL 2021 Quotes from the panellists: The COVID-19 vaccine race is a scientific triumph. In just "No matter how much it costs to stop under a year, several vaccines have been tested, transported, this pandemic in every corner of the world, it amounts to nothing compared and delivered to millions around the world. But as demand to the cost of not stopping it." for vaccines outstrips supply, a ‘pandemic within a pandemic’ Dag-Inge Ulstein could turn into tragedy without these steps: Minister of International Development, Norway

SYSTEMS "It is heartbreaking and painful to see what is happening in India. It is a We have not done enough to countries with lesson for all of us on how we can fragile health systems for a pandemic. We need to build prepare better and build resilient resilient health systems to avoid dangerous drops in health systems." routine vaccinations and procedures, especially for Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Chief Scientist, WHO children.

"Working on a basis of social SCIENCE solidarity, we can quickly get a We have to trust the science, rely on data, and solution. We have also seen that if we allow vaccine nationalism, we run overcome vaccine hesitancy. Detecting and studying into a risk of complicating a pandemic the new variants is essential to avoid epidemics within that could have been contained." the pandemic. Dr. Zweli Mkhize Minister of Health, SOLIDARITY We have to lift trade barriers, share intellectual property "We have not done enough to prepare countries with fragile rights and ramp up manufacturing plants on all continents. health systems for a pandemic. To speed up and scale up our global responses to COVID- If we do not work together, we cannot reach everyone." 19, humanitarian actors, governments and the private Henrietta H. Fore sector have to work hand-in-hand. The pandemic is not Executive Director, UNICEF over anywhere until it is over everywhere.

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Dag-Inge Dr. Soumya Dr. Zweli Henrietta Ulstein Swaminathan Mkhize H. Fore

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