Will rich countries buy up coronavirus vaccines, leaving the global south to suffer? (Dr. Jerome Kim)

Going underground vaccines

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Jerome Kim, director-general of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). He discusses the purpose of the IVI and how it’s seeking to speed up the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, the prospect of Covid-19 deaths doubling if rich countries buy up the first two billion doses, the COVAX facility and how it will help to get vaccine doses to poorer countries, Russia and the United States not being a part of COVAX, the need for more global health collaboration, the threat of antimicrobial resistance, and more!

Finally, we speak to Sarah Hughes, CEO of the Center for Mental Health. She discusses the UK’s mental health vulnerability and the impact which the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have had on mental health, her letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock calling for mental health to be a top priority and the need for more investment in the sector, her figures which estimate that one in five will have mental health issues after the pandemic, the privatization of the NHS and the growing private sector mental health industry, and much more!

Watch: Here