Vaccine nationalism: ‘Natural but stupid’

As national leaders get covetous over Covid-19 vaccines, public health experts plead for more cooperation

As the first wave of Covid-19 swept through Europe, senior politicians urged unity in the response. “No one is safe until we are all safe,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in May 2020.

A year later, with cases on the rise again, those words are starting to look like mere platitudes. Around the world, political rows have flared over access to vaccines, with countries scrambling to secure more doses in the hope of restarting their economies and stemming the surge in case numbers.