US Conspicuously Absent from Global Coronavirus Vaccine Conference

Leaders from around the world on Monday joined an online coronavirus vaccine summit, where governments, philanthropists, and companies pledged to donate money for research and the production of coronavirus treatments. The United States did not participate.

Hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and jointly organized by the EU, UK, Norway, and Saudi Arabia, the summit came when a quarter million people around the globe have already died from the novel coronavirus.

The conference raised about 8.2 billion U.S. dollars, which will be channeled to international health agencies, such as the World Health Organization, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

A number of world leaders addressed the summit, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among many others. The summit was a moment of international solidarity, where leaders pledged to streamline vaccine productions and adhere to the equitable distribution of vaccines.

Many experts are worried that who is vaccinated and when, will largely depend on which county wins the vaccine race, as that country may very prioritize its citizens over others. Moreover, poorer countries could struggle to manufacture the needed doses or raise the funds needed to purchase them.  

“We can’t just have the wealthiest countries have a vaccine and not share it with the world,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during the summit.

Abe echoed the summit’s sentiment of solidarity, saying “Let us in the international community unite to overcome this crisis.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was previously hospitalized with COVID-19, said the search for a vaccine was “the most urgent shared endeavor of our lifetime,” and called for “an impregnable shield around all our people.”

The absence of the United States from the summit, underscored the country’s perceived failure to lead the global response. The U.S. has been criticized for defunding the World Health Organization and limiting the sales of personal protective equipment to other countries, when facing its own shortages. U.S. officials declined to comment on the reason for their absence. 

Russia and India were also notably absent from the summit.