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The problem was, when vaccines were in short supply, the US decided to prioritize all Americans, including healthy 16 year olds, over other countries' most vuln

The problem was, when vaccines were in short supply, the US decided to prioritize all Americans, including healthy 16 year olds, over other countries' most vulnerable and elderly population. In early 2021, if N vaccine doses going to another country who would have saved 1000 lives because they were still vaccinating the most vulnerable, the same N doses used in the US would have saved 1, because the most vulnerable were already vaccinated and the vaccines were being used for younger not-at-risk population. Why should any country not criticize the US for prioritizing one American life over 1,000 non-American lives? This compares to the EU which allowed vaccine exports. Thousands of Canadians are alive today that wouldn't have been if the EU acted like the US.

throwaway894345 5y ago
Admittedly the United States' rollout wasn't optimally efficient, and they prioritized American lives early on (before we knew exactly how mass vaccination would play out, mind you--much of your criticism benefits from hindsight). But it's unfair to criticize the US for prioritizing American lives over foreign lives when it's doing far more than all other countries combined to minimize the loss of foreign lives. I could spin that into a divisive shot at Canada or the EU as you've done with America (and I think I could make a much more compelling case), but I don't see the point in being divisive when we have nothing to gain and everything to lose from it. Yes, the early days of COVID vaccination were predictably rocky. What's the excuse today for not working together to vaccinate the world?