WHAT A WORLD! The fact that COVID-19 will not disappear into thin air until the world as a whole reaches herd immunity seems not to have the ear of some of the richest nations on Planet Earth. Not even the WHO has thus far managed to convince the likes of the US and the UK among others to release their stockpiles of precious vaccines to countries that are in need, many of which continue to be in crisis mode – for example, on the African continent and swathes of Asia where immunisation has lagged to such a degree that playing catch up will be a monumental task. Unfortunately, the WHO’s ambitious COVAX initiative has all but stalled against a backdrop of production shortfalls – notably by the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer in India, which suffered a rude shock when a devastating second wave of the virus swept through the nation earlier this year. Here in Sri Lanka too, questions are being asked about who our friends are: for instance, our own predicament of a shortfall of around 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca has yet to be bridged despite the recommended 12 week gap between jabs having lapsed for a majority of people who received the first – and let it be said, an unwillingness on the part of developed nations such as the US (which has yet to distribute the 80 million doses it doesn’t need!) and the UK (it also reportedly has excess stocks of the vaccine in question) to help us in our hour of need. So when the rich world reaches herd immunity and drops its guard, international travel and supply chains could very well lead to new spreads and variants threatening their newfound freedom all over again.