The Covid 19 pandemic is a global humanitarian crisis. In the UK we are fortunate as the vaccine is available but other countries are struggling and people are dying. The mass funeral pyres and bodies dumped in rivers in India tell a different story to official government figures. As coronavirus spreads unchecked new variations cause aggressive infections even in the UK with young people requiring intensive care treatment and dying. New variants will continue to emerge until the global population is adequately vaccinated. How long do we want to watch this devastation go on, knowing all the time that the UK had the power to prevent it and did nothing? How many of our friends and families need to suffer, both in the UK and abroad? How long do we want to wait for no more restrictions and a return to life as before?

Donations of ‘surplus’ vaccines from the UK are woefully inadequate. There is not enough vaccine being manufactured in the world and the only way this can be made possible is by suspending intellectual property rights on vaccines for coronavirus. Otherwise we will be in a situation where vaccine resistant mutants take over and put even the vaccinated at risk. This is the only way to achieve an end to Covid 19.

As a doctor working in the NHS I implore you to take action. Please put a stop to coronavirus now by supporting global vaccination.