New waves, new variants, old inequity: a continuing COVID-19 crisis

[...]more concerningly, our plight is not unique - low-income and middle-income countries now contribute to a higher proportion of global COVID-19 cases but have received the minimum number of vaccine doses. Here, we, a group of scientists in Bangladesh, use data from a SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance study, our lived experiences and historical trends of vaccine access to argue that it is time for low-income and middle-income countries to realise that as long as we are not self-sufficient in vaccine production, this trend will continue. Indirect impact of COVID-19 on neonatal deaths has been reported,7 and impact on maternal health is estimated to be substantial.8 There has been a dip in childhood vaccination efforts.9 Rise in indiscriminate use of antimicrobials is paving the path for further rise of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Global vaccine inequity prevents effective control of the pandemic In Bangladesh,