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Coronavirus Africa
CoronavirusAnalysis & Opinion
Josephine Ma
Josephine Ma

As I see it | Omicron shows nations need to work together, not slam their borders shut

  • There’s an urgent need to do something about inequitable access to Covid-19 vaccines
  • Wealthy countries also need to take action to improve genome surveillance in poorer nations

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Many nations suspended flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries amid concerns over the new Omicron variant. Photo: Bloomberg
Josephine Ma
In theory, the world should be in a better position to deal with the Omicron variant after nearly two years of battling Covid-19. But despite the World Health Organization’s call for calm, there is panic in the air.
Many nations have suspended flights from South Africa, where the highly mutated variant was first found, and its neighbouring countries. Some have also closed their borders to non-citizens.

However, with Omicron spreading to about one-third of US states and more than 40 countries, containment measures may not be effective any more. There are more test kits available now, so airports could instead be ramping up testing. Quarantine systems could be reinforced instead of suspending flights.

The new variant has also prompted renewed calls for vaccine mandates, including European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen saying members should consider making jabs compulsory.

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But this is an overreaction, and it could miss the mark. Scientists and drug makers are still trying to determine if the existing vaccines are effective against Omicron, and there is a high chance new jabs will be needed.

For now, the current vaccination drives should continue, since Delta is still the dominant strain of the coronavirus in most countries. And vaccine mandates should be the last resort, particularly when so many questions remain about Omicron – like whether it will become dominant, if existing vaccines work against it, and whether it causes severe disease.

Instead, there is an urgent need to address inequitable access to the Covid-19 vaccines. There are severe vaccine supply shortages across Africa, for example. The question is, if Omicron does become dominant and effective vaccines to combat the strain are developed, will there be enough to ensure global supply – including for the poorer countries?
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