Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of Gordon Brown warned wealthy nations against not using vaccines.
Brown also criticised the European Union as a ‘neocolonialism’ for its purchase of South Africa jabs.
Former Labour leader, Omicron, claimed that the West could have prevented the spread of super-mutant strains like Omicron. It was first identified in South Africa on November 24th.
According to him, the West was ‘forewarned of the inability to share vaccine doses’ but only 3 percent of low-income countries were jabbed, compared with 60 to 70% in the rich.
Brown said that Covid spreads uninhibited in unvaccinated individuals and is now evolving, with new varieties emerging from poor countries.
Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of Gordon Brown warned wealthy nations not to share vaccines as it could ‘come back for us’
Although the former prime minister stated that the West was forewarned of the inability to distribute vaccine doses equally, he said only 3 per cent of those living in low-income countries have been given vaccinations, compared to 60 percent in the rich.
The Guardian stated that “The Good News is that our Medical genius has made sure that the Omicron variant was identified rapidly; that it is being sequenced quickly; and that, if this proves more transmissible than the current vaccines then, there may be a new vaccine soon,”
‘But given the contrast between the success of our scientists and the failure of our global leaders, only a herculean effort starting this week can allay fears that new mutations among unvaccinated people in the least-protected places will take Covid into a third year – with even fifth, sixth and seventh waves.’
He then accused the EU of Neocolonialism for trying to buy South African vaccines. The move “impeded” the country’s ability to immunise its citizens.
He wrote that South Africa had achieved 27% vaccination rates. However, rural Africa is often at single figures and that the entire continent was rightfully angry about the European Union’s neocolonialism.
‘Even as the gap between the vaccines haves of Europe and the vaccine have-nots of Africa mushroomed, the EU insisted on commandeering millions of South African-produced Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccines and sending them out of Africa into Europe.’
Gordon Brown then accused the EU of Neocolonialism over their attempt to acquire South African-made vaccins.
Mr Brown’s comments came as the World Health Organisation labelled the recently-discovered Omicron strain of Covid-19 a ‘variant of concern’ on Friday evening.
The evidence suggests that there has been a significant change in Covid-19’s epidemiology. Accordingly to the WHO, B.1.1.529 was designated as an Omicron variant of concern.
Chris Whitty is the chief medical officer and stated alarmist warnings have been dismissed as speculation because of the fact that this variant was only found in small numbers.
He also wondered if people would allow the return to coronavirus restrictions.
Sajid Javid the Health Secretary told MPs there was “huge international concern” but vaccines were putting Britain in a solid position. Although scientists believe the existing jabs may be improved to deal with this variant, they are not yet available.
The EU suspended all flights into southern Africa as a quick way to reduce the spread after Friday’s first confirmed case.
Britain already had six nations on its travel red list – Botswana and Lesotho as well as Namibia, Eswatini and Zimbabwe, and it was set to add two more.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission had previously called for an EU travel ban on southern Africa. She warned that Omicron could become world-dominant within months.
As a result, passengers flying from South Africa to the Netherlands were prohibited from getting off planes. The continent had tightened its borders to stop the strain that scientists call the “worst ever” and banned them from getting on the plane.
After being required to pass a screening and provide their contact details, they were finally allowed off the runway.
British passengers from Johannesburg’s variant were, on the other hand, allowed to meet hundreds of others while they flew to Heathrow in the last flight out of Africa.
Heathrow passengers who flew into Heathrow said they weren’t questioned or tested about their travel histories.