Name: Pope Francis Says Covid-19 Vaccine Must Be 'Universal and for All'—Not Just the Rich and Powerful
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Pope Francis Says Covid-19 Vaccine Must Be 'Universal and for All'—Not Just the Rich and Powerful

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Sign up for our newsletter.Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.Follow us: Common Dreams will never be locked behind a paywall because we believe our journalism should remain freely available to everyone ― not just those who can afford to pay. By becoming a sustaining monthly donor today, you can help make sure our work remains free for those who aren't able to chip in. Donate Now ×To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our Pope Francis leads his general weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on October 30, 2019 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo: Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis) In addition to coronavirus, Pope Francis said, "we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization, and the lack of protection for the weakest."&nbsp; Speaking on the Covid-19 pandemic and a potential vaccine, Pope Francis on Wednesday said the world's wealthiest should not be prioritized over the poor."It would be sad if, for the vaccine for Covid-19, priority were to be given to the richest!" the Pope during his weekly general audience. "It would be sad if this vaccine were to become the property of this nation or another, rather than universal and for all.""And what a scandal it would be if all the economic assistance we are observing—most of it with public money—were to focus on rescuing those industries that do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good, or the care of creation," he continued.The Pope's remarks came as the world's reported positive cases of the virus passed the 22 million mark, with the Americas &nbsp;for 64% of global deaths from Covid-19.The response to the pandemic is dual: we need to find a cure for this small which has brought the whole world to its knees and we must cure a larger virus, that of social injustice. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) Acknowledging that the pandemic has "exposed the plight of the poor and the great inequality that reigns in the world," the religious leader said global citizens must work to rectify those injustices as the world recovers.&nbsp;"On the one hand, it is essential to find a cure for this small but terrible virus which has brought the whole world to its knees," he said. "On the other, we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization, and the lack of protection for the weakest."Drug manufacturers developing Covid-19 vaccines have for projected costs of their potential products and political debates continue about whether a vaccine to the public free of charge.While one out of five Americans cannot afford the medicine prescribed by their doctors, the CEO of Moderna became a billionaire overnight after his company received $483 million from the Trump administration to develop a potential coronavirus vaccine.— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tuesday that he had made a deal with drugmaker AstraZeneca to supply a potential Covid-19 vaccine to the entire country's population, though details are scant.&nbsp;But Pope Francis warned that the global response to the virus should not fall along ideological lines."This is not a political option; nor is it an ideological option, a party option… no," he said. "The preferential option for the poor is at the center of the Gospel."On life after Covid-19, Pope Francis declared that a new "normality" must include transforming systemic injustices, not simply maintain the status quo."We are all worried about the social consequences of the pandemic," he said. "Many people want to return to normality and resume economic activities. Certainly, but this 'normality' should not include social injustices and the degradation of the environment.""The pandemic is a crisis, and we do not emerge from a crisis the same as before," the Pope continued. "Either we come out of it better, or we come out of it worse. We must come out of it better, to counter social injustice and environmental damage. Today we have an opportunity to build something different."Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely. We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you. Donate Now ×To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our "Looks like removing crushing debt burdens for families is a political winner after all," said the Groundwork Collaborative executive director. Independent state legislative theory—a formerly fringe right-wing notion that state lawmakers alone can regulate federal elections—will be tested in the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming months. After withholding raises from unionized employees earlier this year, "Starbucks is doubling down on the illegality," said one critic. "People must be able to add their voice, without fear of retaliation, to the public debates that will determine the future direction of our country and our planet." "If this contract is presented to our members in its current form, it will not pass," said one union spokesperson. Workers want to be able "to take a sick day or vacation day without the fear of termination." Donate ×To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our

Sign up for our newsletter.Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.Follow us: Common Dreams will never be locked behind a paywall because we believe our journalism should remain freely available to everyone ― not just those who can afford to pay. By becoming a sustaining monthly donor today, you can help make sure our work remains free for those who aren't able to chip in. Donate Now ×To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our Pope Francis leads his general weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on October 30, 2019 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo: Alessandra...

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Pope Francis Says Covid-19 Vaccine Must Be 'Universal and for All'—Not Just the Rich and Powerful

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