Vaccine inequity in low-income countries allows viruses to mutate and bypass existing vaccines – solving it is key to eradicate worse diseases

This study also tested the relationship between the COVID-19 vaccination rate with the proportion of new confirmed cases, dead cases, cases in hospital, ICU cases, and the reproduction rate of virus before and after the emergence of Omicron. From the perspective of disease defense, although large-scale vaccination is being globally implemented, new challenges occur and request the development of vaccines against mutant strains. In addition, vaccine inequity will bring more significant crises since regions without herd immunity have potential risks of virus mutation. Countries with lower vaccination coverage always have lower HDI, which places a heavy burden on the public health system of these countries. Research also argued that the virus is more likely to thrive and mutate in regions with low vaccination coverage [34], becoming a new problem and challenge for the global response to the epidemic.