Can everyone in wealthy countries who receives vaccination donate a small amount?

[EvelynBeatrice]

It occurred to me - as I’m sure it will to others - that if each person worldwide who receives a Covid vaccination and is able to do so donates a small sum - even a pound or two- that money could be added to the international fund to provide vaccines to poorer countries. I think that individuals can donate and found this link via WHO
covid19responsefund.org/en/
but please check carefully before donating.
It would be great if donation slips with relevant information could be handed out at vaccination stations. Has anyone heard anything about this? I can’t believe that no one has suggested it already.

Know the Uk has given a lot of money to Covax if that helps.

So by paying our taxes we are helping provide vaccines for elsewhere in the world that needs it.

i don't think it would be popular at all, sorry

Another scheme here - I strongly support this www.lstmed.ac.uk/support-us/bump-it-forward

The U.K. has already put a lot of money in Covax.

We have also over ordered vaccines (by placing orders for multiple options) so when we've vaccinated everyone who wants it, the rest will be donated to countries who can't afford to pay.

@MrsMercedes

i don't think it would be popular at all, sorry

Why not? It wouldn’t be compulsory. I think there are a lot of people who would happily donate but don’t know where to donate.

Certainly a good option if people want to do this.

I wouldn't want to promote it at all either when booking or receiving a vaccination. There's already been enough confusion caused by the scam texts - I could see a variation asking for a donation by text that would be a gift to scammers.

Not everyone in wealthy countries has enough money to give any away. I have friends and family from African countries, the people only get around a third of any donations. The rest is disappeared. There's countries on the list who shouldn't be on there. Corruption is the issue, not poverty.

As said, the potential for scams is too great. There's enough pressure on people to give to food banks etc.

"It would be great if donation slips with relevant information could be handed out at vaccination stations."

To the most vulnerable in our society? No we shouldn't be hounding people.

Or China should just foot the bill for everyone’s vaccinations?! I think that would be fairer for everyone 😁

Not everyone can even afford a pound. Living in a wealthy country doesn't mean there's no poverty here.

I think I read the AZ is sold at cost which was about £3. I would happily donate £3 when I have my vaccine so someone in somewhere like Africa could get a free vaccine. I was only thinking the same thing the other day op. Just a voluntary donation from those that can afford to give. It is about the price of a large coffee.

Will happily do so.

I don't think there should be anything official, or at vaccination sites because of the risk of pressurising those who can't afford it, and of scammers taking advantage. As others have noted, we've contributed a fair bit via taxes, but maybe a social media campaign or something to encourage people to contribute more would be a good idea. I'd also like to see our "spare" vaccines going to countries that might struggle to get them - possibly controversial but I'd start with commonwealth countries on the basis that generally, we owe them historically!

I think it is an excellent idea for those with the richest to help pay for the rest of the world to be vaccinated

Here's another scheme

www.unicef.org.uk/donate/coronavirus/

It sounds trite to say that "we're not safe unless we're all safe" but we leave swathes of the world unvaccinated at our peril, for leaving a human reservoir is one of the more obvious ways of increasing the risk of a vaccine-escaping variant.

Not to mention that all lives matter

I think that's a great idea. Clearly most people in the U.K. could afford to give £3 even with our shocking poverty rates. It wouldn't have to be 'pressure.'

I would happily donate. I think individuals are being pretty short sighted if they think I'm vaccinated so life will return to normal. Until we reach global vaccination then life isn't going to be!

@meditrina thank you for the link. I've now donated.

@MrsMercedes

i don't think it would be popular at all, sorry

Eh? What a weird comment

I would happily donate too. If everyone who had a vaccine and could afford to made a small donation it would make a huge difference. Thank you for the link.

Does anyone know how the £1.3bn given by the U.K. government is expected to be spent. I thought this was to help vaccinate populations in developing nations?

Great idea, it's in everyone's interest for vaccination to be as widespread as possible.

Great idea op. I don’t think info should be given out at vaccination stations, for reasons mentioned in posts above, but it should be a campaign run on social media. I think those of us who can donate money to this should. I would happily donate some money.

@Princessbanana

Or China should just foot the bill for everyone’s vaccinations?! I think that would be fairer for everyone 😁

Yes, quite.

I agree that it would be problematic to publicise the information at the vaccination centres. That’s why we have social media!

I found the UNICEF link on another MN thread and have set up a small monthly donation. I won’t miss it. I also put the link on my Facebook, saying if you’ve had the vax/expect to have it, and you can afford to, would you consider making a donation so that some of the poorest people in the world can have the same.

I hope none of my friends is offended by the question just being asked.

As pp have pointed out, the UK has made a big contribution to Covax, and that’s coming out of our tax money. There are plenty of people in the UK (not all!) who after paying all their bills etc still have money to spare. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to publicise how they could give some of that to help people in countries which don’t have the means to vaccinate all their population for free.