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The Covid pandemic is a threat to all humans, whether they live in rich countries or not. As of early 2021, new strains of the virus are spreading quickly in South Africa and Brazil, and are spreading to the rest of the world.

Fortunately, in less than one year, modern science enabled the development of remarkably effective vaccines. As new strains will appear regularly, it is possible that antibodies developed against current strains will be ineffective against new ones. This makes it very important that new vaccines be developed quickly against newly-appearing strains. To this end, vaccines based on mRNA technology seem particularly appropriate. Although their wide use is relatively new, their efficacy and absence of adverse side effects are remarkable. Their manufacturing process makes their modification to add protection against new strains very quick and easy.

Because of these qualities, making these vaccines available to all of humanity as quickly as possible is not only a necessity, but also a moral obligation. Without universal access to vaccines, many people in many parts of the world will die, the number of virus carriers will remain high, and new strains will appear against which no country rich or poor will be immune.

Combating this threat requires a worldwide coordination of the production and distribution of vaccines. International organizations, such as the United Nations, could assign the World Health Organization to the role of mobilizing the means of production and coordinating the production effort. Legal provisions already exist to allow such efforts, with proper financial compensation of the parties involved.

We are petitioning the US Government, the United Nations, and the WHO to work towards this goal, so that humanity can be protected from future waves of infection.