Saudi Arabia joins other Arab countries in helping Tunisia, which is facing the collapse of its health care system, including Egypt, Algeria, UAE, Kuwait, Turkey and Qatar.

The Saudi Press Agency said on Monday the aid also includes 190 respirators and other equipment.

“We are in a catastrophic situation … the health system has collapsed, we can only find a bed in hospitals with great difficulty,” said health ministry spokesperson Nisaf Ben Alaya.

Intensive care units are full and there is a severe shortage of oxygen, officials said.

The latest aid brings to 2 million vaccine doses donated to Tunisia, where vaccinations lag far behind other countries. So far, only 730,000 people have been fully vaccinated out of a total of 11.6 million residents.

Tunisia recorded 106 deaths on Monday and reported 4,300 new coronavirus cases.

The total number of coronavirus cases so far in the country has climbed to more than 500,000, with about 16,500 deaths.

The massive gray clouds of air pollution have become a terrifying concern for people…

On Sunday, January 3, 2021, for the fifth consecutive day, the air quality in Tehran was reported to be very unhealthy. The regime’s meteorological organization also announced severe air pollution in seven major cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan, Arak, Qom, and Karaj, until next Thursday.

The air pollution index in some parts of Tehran on Saturday, January 2exceeded 200, which means very unhealthy, in other areas it reached more than 186, and the Tehran Health Emergency Department is on high alert all days of next week.

 Alireza Raessi, Deputy Minister of Health said, “33,000 people die annually in the country due to air pollution.” In the span of the past 10 months, since spring 2020, only 15 days of clean air have been recorded in Tehran.  This is even though  the coronavirus epidemic has caused a significant reduction in traffic in Tehran, with the closure of schools and universities.

Alireza Zali, head of the Coronavirus task force in Tehran said, ” Air pollution damages parts of the respiratory system and this condition makes a person weaker against coronavirus.”

What is the cause of air pollution?

On December 31, 2020, Abbas Shahsavani, head of the Air Health and Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Health said, ” The use of Mazut in power plants have caused excessive pollution in the weather conditions of Tehran and other metropolises.”.

Massoud Tajrishi, deputy director of the Environmental Protection Agency, on Saturday, January 2 said, “There is no will to eliminate air pollution in Tehran. “In addition to power plants, in recent days some foundry units in Tehran have also used Mazut.”

The Mazut produced by Iranian refineries is very polluting because it has a high sulfur content.

The Environmental Protection Agency also stated that the use of Mazut in power plants is the main cause of air pollution in Tehran.

The massive gray clouds of air pollution have become a terrifying concern for people. Now the question is:

Why has Mazut replaced natural gas?

The government has ordered the use of Mazut by Iran’s power plants and industries and has cut off natural gas in order to generate revenue from the sale of natural gas.

To address the government’s budget deficit, Rouhani has ordered gas exports to the neighboring countries, including Iraq and Pakistan, as an important source of funding for Iran. He has no regard for the health of Iranians and he exports natural gas to Iraq and finances his government from Iranians’ pockets. The government has ordered the use of Mazut and diesel fuel instead of natural gas for power plants as well as foundry plants and has closed the natural gas valves on them.

The Iranian National Gas Company announced that 80% of Iran’s power plants now use Mazut and diesel fuel instead of natural gas. This has greatly increased air pollution in cities

A spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 said that Iran has agreed to resume normal gas exports to Iraq on Wednesday in exchange for receiving a portion($ 700,000) of its $ 6 billion funds from the Iraqi government.

The mullahs’ regime needs to use this Mazut because of reaching its refinery capacity. Power plants are the priority for consumption of Mazut and its use has greatly increased the cities’ pollution.

Alireza Zali, head of the coronavirus task force in Tehran on January 2 said,  “In temperature Inversion and Air Pollution Conditions, the coronavirus is more persistent in the air, and air pollution damages part of the respiratory system, making it more vulnerable to coronavirus. People with asthma will have a worse condition if they contract coronavirus.”.

With a government that does not care for the health of its citizens, it is only natural that underground gas resources are used just to finance the state’s corruption. Such an approach is reflected in the words of citizens who write on social media: “We are all dying silently in this smoky and suffocating city. We have been suffocating for years under this gray umbrella of the sky.”

Hassan Mahmoudi is a Europe-based social analyst, researcher, independent observer, and commentator of Middle Eastern and Iranian Politics. He tweets under @hassan_mahmou1. 

Khamenei’s refusal to allow the vaccine’s entry is another clear sign of its concern for possible social unrests and uprisings.

In his speech on Friday, January 8, 2021, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, pointed to a few matters’ worth elaborating on. Throughout his speech, he made it clear that in Iran, the foremost decision-making authority is himself and the government, the president, and the parliament are not allowed to decide on major issues. In other words, the people’s will and whatever other officials may express are unimportant to him. Listening to his speech, one would clearly comprehend that Iran is, in fact, a dictatorial country ruled by a dictator named Ali Khamenei and that other government agencies have virtually no power to make important decisions.

But one of the important points that Khamenei addressed in his speech was the possible purchase of the Corona vaccine from American and British companies. Last week, a massive campaign #buy vaccine was launched by the Iranian people on social media platforms. Khamenei called the vaccines from the United States and Britain unreliable and not trustworthy for ridiculous reasons. Khamenei’s unscientific and dangerous assumptions contradict the World Health Organization and almost all countries of the world that have approved the use of these vaccines in their countries.

In his speech, Khamenei stated: “Allowing the American and British vaccines into the country is prohibited. I also told this to the Iranian government officials, and I will say it publicly now”. He said the vaccines should not be bought. In other words, it does not matter to him that thousands of Iranians will lose their lives because of the unavailability of the vaccines. He encouraged people to wait for the vaccine that is supposed to be produced in Iran. He intentionally did not mention in his speech that in the most optimistic case, it will take at least one year to avail the vaccine to the people.

Khamenei’s decision to disallow the import and use of the Corona vaccine into Iran indicates that contrary to the regime’s rhetoric and propaganda, Iran was never sanctioned on food and medicine and the Iranian authority’s claims that because of sanctions, Iran was unable to import the vaccines.  Throughout its life, the Iranian regime has always been fearful of possible social unrests and uprisings. It has employed every possible apparatus in its disposal to suppress any gathering and demonstrations by the people. Khamenei’s refusal to allow the vaccine’s entry is another clear sign of its concern for possible social unrests and uprisings.

Another important point that Khamenei mentioned in his speech was the issue of the US sanctions. While calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions by the United States, he explicitly confirmed that Iran no longer adheres to some of its JCPOA obligations, including enriching 20% uranium. He stressed if other countries do not implement their shares of JCPOA, Iran will not either.

Of course, the actions of the Iranian regime over the past year, the start of 20% Uranium enrichment, and expressing its intentions for higher Uranium enrichment prove that Iran has never given up on its desire to build an atomic bomb. Khamenei intends to exploit the transition of power in the United States by blackmailing and extorting, forcing foreign parties to lift sanctions, renounce Iran’s missile programs and export of terrorism and the regime’s criminal interventions in the region.

In his speech, Khamenei intends to pressure Biden to lift the sanctions as soon as possible; otherwise, Iran will no longer abide by the JPCOA agreement and will enrich uranium with high percentages, which is used to build nuclear weapons and blame the American president. He also pointed out that the United States’ return to JPCOA is not important for Iran, and he only demands the lifting of sanctions by the United States. It is clear that Biden will not rejoin the old JPCOA and will want a new agreement to be discussed. In addition to the nuclear issue, the new agreement will address other topics such as the regime’s provocative interventions in the region and support for terrorist groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, and Iran’s expansion of missile power.

Khamenei also referred to these two issues and said, “First of all, Iran has a duty to act in such a way that its friends and supporters in the region are strengthened, it is our duty. Our presence in the region means strengthening our friends and strengthening our supporters. We should not weaken the friends of the Islamic Republic and those loyal to the regime. So, this is a definite regional presence that must exist and will exist. ». This means that Iran will continue to spend a large portion of its budget on helping proxy groups in other countries, despite the dire internal economic situation and the Iranian people’s dissatisfaction. It is worth mentioning that the majority of the Iranian people live below the poverty line. This of course will continue destabilizing the region.

Regarding the Iranian missile program, Khamenei said, “Today, our defense power is such that our enemies have to take into account Iran’s capabilities in their calculations.” “We must not leave our country defenseless; it is our duty; we must not bow to the enemy’s demands.” In his speech, Khamenei also talked about Iran’s next presidential election that is scheduled to be held in June 2021. Khamenei is pursuing a contractionary policy. He has installed two of his close associates as head of the Judiciary and the parliament’s head. Khamenei is considering making sure the next president and his ministers are also completely aligned with his policies.

To this end, in his speeches, he referred to his preference for a radical government modelled by Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds terrorist force. It should be noted that after raising this issue, several Revolutionary Guards commanders have prepared themselves to participate in the showy presidential elections. Thus, Khamenei wants to seize all the levers of power and government and eliminate any possible opposition to him and his decisions.

However, given the dire economic/social situation in Iran and the corruption in the government apparatus, which has caused dissatisfaction among more than 90% of the people, it remains to be seen whether Khamenei’s plans can save his government and prevent its overthrow by popular uprisings. We have seen it in previous years, especially in the November 2019 uprising. This is something that will be answered in the coming months.

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.

Even some officials in Iran have opened their mouths to protest the government’s inaction…

More than 80 countries have already ordered 7 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines, including poor countries such as Ecuador, Panama, and Afghanistan, and even Venezuela, which is facing a severe financial crisis, has ordered the vaccine. Some countries, including in the Persian Gulf, have started public vaccination, but the Iranian regime has not taken any action to purchase or order the coronavirus vaccine.

The question is what is the problem and why? even though Iran is one of the countries with the highest number of victims of the coronavirus and according to reliable sources more than 190,000 people have lost their lives so far.

The Iranian government has not taken any action to buy the coronavirus vaccine to prevent the massacre of Iranians? In recent weeks, the death toll has risen to nearly 500 each day, according to the regime itself.

Even economically, daily delay in procuring the vaccine is causing great damage to the Iranian economy, as the state media of “Donyaye Eghtessad” (meaning world of economy) wrote on Sunday, December 20th: Studies show that at worst $ 48 billion and at best $ 32 billion is the cost to economy due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

While the cost of vaccination of the entire population of Iran is estimated to be 5 billion dollars at most which shows the benefit of buying the vaccine is much greater than the economic loss …

This situation has reached a point where even some officials in Iran have opened their mouths to protest the government’s inaction. For example, Mostafa Moeen, head of the Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said: “The most effective and decisive way to build herd immunity and end the killing of homeless people is timely vaccination, which must be purchased as soon as possible.”

But why does the mullahs’ regime not buy the coronavirus vaccine and what are its tricks?!

This question can also be seen in Iran’s newspapers.

The state-run “Mardom Salary” newspaper under the header of “Criticism of officials’ response to Corona vaccine” wrote:
“Iran, unlike all countries that have lined up to buy these two types of vaccines; Has made another decision.

In recent weeks, there have been conflicting views on the problems with vaccine purchases, such as “lack of sufficient foreign funds resources”, “impossibility of currency transfer”, “sanctions”, “lack of proper transportation” and so on. . . “.

Hamdeli newspaper on December 23rd wrote in an article titled “From the officials’ excuses and people’s demands about the fight against coronavirus”:

“Despite the production of the Moderna vaccine and the easier access to it, both in terms of price and portability, Iranian officials are still eyeing the production of a vaccine that is to be made in Iran this winter and will reach the public injection stage next spring.

This six-month promise is made by health officials as time passes quickly, and the coronavirus is killing more people every day and makes their families mourn.”
Obviously, the victims of coronavirus are not just “numbers”, they are human and have families. they were born one day amidst the laughter of their families and relatives, and had “souls”, felt “pain”, laughter, and joy as well as, of course, loved life. Facilitating their deaths under no pretext is justifiable because every death conceals a painful catastrophe.

Buying a coronavirus vaccine without wasting time is a public demand. Especially now that coronavirus has shown a more violent face and due to its mutation, its infection progression has increased 70 times. People on social media, especially Twitter, have passed the public’s demand by launching # “Buy Vaccine”.

It seems that the Iranian regime, like its other social problems, is at an impasse due to internal conflicts in purchasing the coronavirus vaccine.

On the one hand, by not signing the FATA agreement, it will not be able to transfer money. On the other hand, if it signs the FATA, its path of financial aid and money laundering for its terrorist and proxy forces will be blocked!

Meanwhile, since the IRGC mafia has direct control over all affairs in Iran under Khamenei’s direct supervision, many believe that vaccines were not bought because of the IRGC’s intervention, which seeks to use the coronavirus outbreak as a means to prevent rallies and protests.

Because they know very well that if there is room for assembly and If the people’s protests start, a much worse situation will occur than in November 2019 for them, which just in 3 days more than 100 cities engulfed in mass protest and many government buildings set to fire by people and the IRGC only by shooting directly at people and killing more than 1500 of them managed to suppress the protests.

But this time they may not be able to control these protests and general uprising, may lead to change of the entire regime in Iran.

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator.

The government did not pay a dollar to buy the vaccine, and the fate of importing the vaccine may be the same as the flu vaccine.

Hassan Rouhani defended his actions, perhaps it does more justice to say his inaction, in dealing with coronavirus outbreak while almost all provinces of Iran are in red zones and even some are in black zone, and according to unofficial reports so far nearly 180 ,000 died and more than 1.2 million people contracted the coronavirus, and said:

“We were approaching the channel of 500 people a day, and even some predictions indicated that we would have much worse conditions with the same trend, but with measures that were taken, we reached below 400 people and we hope to have better conditions with the cooperation of the people.” He continued to justify the government’s inaction: “Using a mask, observing social distancing, and not getting together principles should always be observed. If the traffic increases and getting together starts, our problem will increase.”

Furthermore, to lower the expectation of Iranians to get vaccinated for coronavirus soon, he indirectly hinted tried to not expect receiving coronavirus vaccine and said: “We must always continue to take care, even if we are given a safe vaccine and the right dose and we could administer it, people still must follow the protocols. The effects and side effects of the vaccines are not yet known, and it is not clear what is the effectiveness of the vaccines that are supposed to be in the countries that want to start vaccination, and the side effects of these vaccines are not clear to the world.”

“Maybe some of these vaccines have side effects, so we cannot hope for a vaccine that is not yet available. Whenever a safe vaccine is found, it will not be produced as many doses as required and production capacity is limited in the world. Vaccination takes time to administer to everyone who needs it, so care should not be reduced in the hope of vaccination”, he added. “We think the vaccine will arrive and our problems will be solved, while no vaccine is 100% effective and we do not know if the virus will mutate or not, and if that happens, the vaccines should be changed.”

Rouhani blamed the people and added: “We all have a duty to impose strictures on these cases. Wherever it becomes clear that the patient has violated the quarantine, fines should be imposed on them. When we enforce a protocol and it is ratified and communicated by the coronavirus National Headquarters, our own officials are to implement it and our duty to implement it is greater and higher than that of ordinary people.”

Rouhani also justified his long absence and that of Khamenei out of fear of contracting coronavirus by quoting a verse from the Qur’an: “Whoever has a higher responsibility, and the people look up to him in government, his actions can be effective. Ministers and other agencies and all those responsible in the country must comply more than others, and if they do not comply, it will make people feel that these protocols are not very necessary, and if it was necessary, why some administration and ministry and some officials did not comply.”

Abdul Nasser Hemmati, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, also said that Tehran’s attempt to pay the World Health Organization to buy the coronavirus vaccine had been hampered by “sanctions”.

Hemmati wrote in a text posted on his Instagram page on Monday, December 7: “Since the purchase of the COVAX vaccine must be done through the official channel of the World Health Organization, ‌so far any way to pay and transfer the required currency, ‌because “The inhumane sanctions imposed by the US government and the need to obtain OFAC licenses have been hampered.”

Earlier, Nasser Riahi, president of the Union of Medicine Importers, denied the problem of transferring money for the import of the coronavirus vaccine under the embargo, saying that 30% of Iran’s imported medicines are from the United States with sanctions in place.

Riahi also noted that international sanctions do not include the coronavirus vaccine, and the two vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna would certainly reach Iran.

Meanwhile, Shahriari, the head of parliamentary health commission, stated that Iran cannot afford to buy the coronavirus vaccine and they will not give it to us. The government did not pay a dollar to buy the vaccine, and the fate of importing the vaccine may be the same as the flu vaccine. He added: Iran was supposed to be a member of COVAX, if Iran could pay. They are supposed to give 16.800 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Iran, while the initial advance payment is $52 million, which has not even been paid one dollar so far.

The BBC quoted the Washington Post in a report on the subject that a COVAX spokesman told the newspaper last Friday (December 4th): “There are no legal obstacles for Iran getting the vaccine.”

The Washington Post wrote: “A COVAX spokesman said Iran had obtained the necessary authorization from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Oversight (OFAC) to make an exemption to pay for vaccine purchases, and there was no legal ban on purchase of vaccine through COVAX by Iran.”

On the other hand, Saeed Namaki, the Minister of Health, to cover up the inaction of the government said: “We want to transfer money for the coronavirus vaccine, but they have closed all the means and exerted pressure on the people, but we are still in a better situation than many rich countries in the world.”

He claimed that the Islamic Republic would announce an “achievement” soon to counter coronavirus. He said, “We have reached a clear point in the control of viral diseases and an achievement of Islamic Republic in the near future will be announced that ranks Iran in the world in this field in the first place.”

But he did not elaborate on his claim!

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.

High on the agenda are purchases and global distribution of vaccines, drugs and tests for low-income countries that cannot afford such expenses themselves. The European Union will urge the G20 on Saturday to invest $4.5 billion to help.

“The main theme will be to step up global cooperation to address the pandemic,” said a senior G20 official taking part in the preparations for the two-day summit, chaired by Saudi Arabia and held virtually because of the pandemic.

In his opening remarks to G20 leaders, 84-year-old Saudi ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz stressed the need for equitable access to the tools to combat COVID-19, including vaccines.

“We must work to create the conditions for affordable and equitable access to these tools for all peoples. At the same time, we must prepare better for any future pandemic,” he told the group via video link.

To prepare for the future, the EU will propose a treaty on pandemics.

“An international treaty would help us respond more quickly and in a more coordinated manner,” the chairman of EU leaders Charles Michel will tell the G20 on Sunday.

While the global economy is recovering from the depths of the crisis earlier this year, momentum is slowing in countries with resurging infection rates, the recovery is uneven and the pandemic is likely to leave deep scars, the International Monetary Fund said in a report for the G20 summit.

Especially vulnerable are poor and highly indebted countries in the developing world, which are “on the precipice of financial ruin and escalating poverty, hunger and untold suffering”, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.

To address this, the G20 will endorse a plan to extend a debt servicing moratorium for developing countries by six months to mid-2021, with a possibility of a further extension, said a draft G20 communique seen by Reuters.

European members of the G20 are likely to push for more.

“More debt relief is needed,” Michel told reporters on Friday.

Debt relief for Africa will be an important theme of the Italian presidency of the G20 in 2021.

Trade and Climate Change

European nations in the G20 will also seek fresh impetus to the stalled reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), hoping to capitalise on the upcoming change of U.S. administration.

“We must also continue to support the global economy and reopen our economies and borders to facilitate the mobility of trade and people,” King Salman said.

Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, Khalid al-Falih, said this year’s crisis had highlighted the importance of multilateral organisations.

“The G20, its essence, is activating multilateralism, and of course this has taken a backseat over the last few years,” Falih said.

Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump favoured bilateral trade deals over working through international bodies.

The change of U.S. leadership also raises hopes of a more concerted effort at G20 level to fight climate change.

Following the example of the European Union, already half of the G20 members, including Japan, China, South Korea and South Africa, plan to become climate- or at least carbon-neutral by 2050 or soon after.

Under Trump, the United States pulled out of the Paris Agreement on fighting climate change, but the decision is likely to be reversed by President-elect Joe Biden.

“We expect, of course, new momentum from the new U.S. administration on this issue, thanks to the President-elect’s declaration that the U.S. would join the Paris Agreement once again,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

To help finance the fight again climate change the EU will push for the G20 to agree on common global standards on what constitutes “green” investment.

This would help attract the massive private investment needed because many investment funds are keen to invest in environmentally sustainable projects, but there is no agreed way of selecting them. The EU is already working on such standards to have them in place by 2022.

His comments were echoed by Danny Altmann, a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, who said the “collateral damage” from deploying any vaccine that is not yet known to be safe and effective “would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably”.

Even as Russia declared victory, more than half a dozen drugmakers around the world are in the process of conducting large-scale, advanced human trials of their potential COVID-19 vaccines, each with tens of thousands of volunteer participants.

Several of these frontrunners, including Moderna (MRNA.O), Pfizer (PFE.N) and AstraZeneca (AZN.L), say they hope to know if their vaccines work and are safe by the end of this year.

All are expected to publish their trial results and safety data and submit them to regulators in the United States, Europe and elsewhere for scrutiny before any licence could be granted.

The Russian vaccine’s approval by the Health Ministry comes before trials that would normally involve thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial. Such trials are usually considered essential precursors for a vaccine to secure regulatory approval.

Peter Kremsner, an expert at Germany’s University Hospital in Tuebingen who is working on clinical trials of a vaccine candidate from CureVac, said Russia’s move was “reckless”.

“Normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine,” he said. “I think it’s reckless to do that if lots of people haven’t already been tested.”

Experts said the lack of published data on Russia’s vaccine – including how it is made and details on safety, immune response and whether it can prevent COVID-19 infection – leaves scientists, health authorities and the public in the dark.

“It is not possible to know if the Russian vaccine has been shown to be effective without submission of scientific papers for analysis,” said Keith Neal, a specialist in the epidemiology of infectious diseases at Britain’s Nottingham University.

Around the world, politicians, drugmakers and regulators offer contradictory outlooks on when a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready. Much depends on what ‘ready’ means and for what group of people. Some key questions around the timeline are:

When we know a Vaccine works?

More than half a dozen drugmakrs around the world are conducting advanced clinical trials, each with tens of thousands of participants, and several expect to know if their COVID-19 vaccines work and are safe by the end of this year.

The most optimistic timeline comes from AstraZeneca Plc, which is running a study in Britain that it says could be completed as early as August.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, told Reuters last week that a trial by Moderna Inc could produce decisive results by November or December. Others will come later, some much later.

Some experts are skeptical that the trials, which must study potential side effects on different types of people, can be completed that quickly. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, says that collecting enough data to prove a vaccine is safe for the world could take until mid-2021.

When will the first shots be ready?

Several drugmakers are building manufacturing capacity so they can begin production as soon as vaccines are approved by regulators. Some efforts are backed by a U.S. government program called ‘Operation Warp Speed’.

Fauci told Reuters he expects “tens of millions” of doses to be available in early 2021, and that by the end of the year there could be more than a billion. That contrasts with more optimistic guidance from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said a vaccine could be ready before the Nov. 3 presidential election, though he did not define ‘ready’.

Several companies, including Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer Inc, say they each expect to make more than 1 billion doses next year. That could mean several billion available by the end of 2021.

When can I get it?

First supplies late this year or early next would likely go to those in rich nations who are deemed by governments to work in essential industries or who are at greatest risk from the virus. That is likely to include people with other issues such as diabetes, healthcare workers, and members of the military.

Countries including Canada, Japan, Britain, and the United States have locked in deals putting their citizens first in line for inoculations as they become broadly available during 2021.

Most vaccines are being tested as two shots given a month apart, giving full strength protection only after the second shot is administered.

When will the world be inoculated?

The wait time for COVID-19 vaccines will likely be longer for people in developing countries, which don’t have early supply deals. Some may struggle to pay for vaccines that could cost upwards of $40 per person, said Hotez.

“I am worried that Operation Warp Speed vaccines will not reach developing countries any time soon,” Hotez said.

Gavi, a vaccine alliance for developing countries, aims to secure 2 billion doses of vaccine in 2021, enough to inoculate the most vulnerable 20% of the population in poorer countries. Several manufacturers, including the Serum Institute of India, are preparing to manufacture for poor and middle-income countries.

Will I be able to get a Chinese Vaccine?

The Chinese government has authorized some experimental vaccines to be used in select patients outside of clinical trials, making it the first country to have vaccines authorized for wider use.

But they are unlikely to be available in the West any time soon. Domestic regulators would need to approve them, and clinical trials by Chinese companies outside of China are still ongoing.

What about Russia?

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.

The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval. Still, Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year.