The race is well and truly on for the first real vaccine to fight against COVID-19 pandemic triggered by the unprecedented Coronavirus outbreak, with the US beginning human trials of a potential vaccine this week.
At an online G7 video meet, world leaders warned US President Donald Trump against monopolizing vaccines against diseases that pose a common threat to mankind, appealing for global cooperation among medical firms working towards a Coronavirus vaccine.
This G7 leaders' warning to US President Donald Trump was prompted by an incident last week, according to a Guardian report, where the US president was accused by German political leaders of trying to buy exclusive US access to vaccines from CureVac laboratory, a German firm.
Both the US and German firm have denied the development reported in German media, but it has nonetheless triggered the idea that US President Donald Trump isn't thinking of cooperating with countries around the world to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and stop the Coronavirus outbreak.
Unlike the immediacy of response to past global crisis, say for example the 2008 recession, yesterday's G7 video conference is the first real sign of a coordinated response by world leaders towards tackling the Coronavirus pandemic -- which is shocking to say the least -- even though efforts at World Health Organization have been ongoing since the first week of January.
Last night members of the G7 issued a joint statement saying, "By acting together, we will work to resolve the health and economic risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and set the stage for a strong recovery of strong, sustainable economic growth and prosperity."
Every country's pretty much dealing with COVID-19 pandemic on its own, with very little information sharing to have any chance of mounting a coordinated, truly global offensive against the Coronavirus outbreak.
Not just in the US or Germany, potential COVID-19 vaccines are being fast-tracked in countries like Israel, China and Australia as well, but nothing that has passed the human trial stage yet.
As the total number of Coronavirus infected cases pass 200,000, among which 8,000 have lost their lives, and an alarming number of cured cases are reporting new COVID-19 infection, it's time for world leaders, big pharma, and everyone who can't wait to make profits from a disaster to realize that COVID-19 vaccines need to be affordable for all, if we are going to have any chance of putting the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak behind us.