Despite our progress, we are entering a fourth wave of the pandemic. Virus cases have increased 10% globally, and cases are rising in about half the states of the U.S. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization attributes the spike in cases to various causes: the virus mutating, people not complying with social distancing and mask-wearing, pressure for societies to open back up, and also the “uneven and inequitable” roll-out of the vaccines, with rich countries hoarding the vaccines to vaccinate their entire populations. Instead, she said, the vaccines should be going out worldwide to those populations in every country—such as frontline workers, health care workers, the elderly, etc.—who are most at risk. She said this, coupled with measures like mask-wearing and distancing, is the only way to stop the spread. We must pressure the U.S. government to do the right thing, both within this country where vaccines are limited in poor communities, and in relation to the rest of humanity. Pandemic anywhere means pandemic everywhere. — The editors
