It’s in interest of all that U.S. share vaccines worldwide

The covid-19 outbreak in India is a humanitarian crisis with global implications. It’s also a powerful reminder that we won’t end this pandemic anywhere unless we end it everywhere.

The world is facing a vaccine access crisis. While wealthy countries continue ramping up vaccinations, only 0.4 percent of covid-19 vaccines globally have been administered to people in low-income countries. The U.S. alone has secured well over 550 million excess covid-19 vaccine doses.

We are in a race against time. These vaccines are desperately needed around the world and will save lives and stem further mutations that could result in a resurgence of the virus in the U.S. and around the world.

Washington’s elected leaders, including Rep. Rick Larsen and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell should call on the Biden administration to do more to share America’s vaccine stockpile equitably with countries in need.

Regardless of whether you live in Stanwood or Saldanha Bay, we’re all in this fight together. Sharing excess vaccines isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do to reduce the spread of variants, reopen the global economy and end this pandemic faster, everywhere.

Rylee Shear

Stanwood

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