Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates position on anti-vaccines in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, asking “how can you get out of a tragic pandemic?”
Gates, whose Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $350 million to the COVID-19 combat, commented in an interview with Bloomberg.
According to the foundation’s website, $250 million of this total will be used for approaches to detect, isolate and treat coronavirus cases, and accelerate the progression of vaccines, medications and diagnostics. And $100 million will go to GAVI’s global public-private fitness association, The Vaccine Alliance, to help deliver COVID-19 vaccines in low-income countries.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), scientists around the world are recently developing 167 vaccines, 29 of which are under clinical evaluation.
Surveys recommend that some members of the public be reluctant to get vaccinated. A Gallup survey conducted between July 20 and August 2 and published last week found that 35% would not get a vaccine, even if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for free.
Bloomberg interviewers said, “For years, other people have been saying that if the anti-vaccines had experienced a pandemic, as their grandparents did, they would think differently. Oh, wow.”
Gates replied, “It’s ironic that other people are wondering about vaccines and we have to say, “Oh my God, how can you get out of a tragic pandemic?”
When asked how confident an effective vaccine was to be widely distributed until the end of 2020, Gates said, “The initial vaccine will not be ideal in terms of disease and transmission effectiveness. It may not have a long duration, and will basically be used in rich countries as a transitional measure.”
Gates said, “We’d be lucky to have long before the end of the year.”
When asked if the vaccine was mandatory, the 64-year-old business tycoon said the technique can “often be counterproductive.”
“But you can simply say that if you’re going to paint in a nursing home or if you’re in contact with the elderly, it would be necessary.”
Gates then predicted that the pandemic’s “real end” would come from collective immunity acquired through vaccines and herbal infections, “over the course of the next year” for countries.
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