Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined the leaders of Spain, New Zealand, South Korea, Ethiopia and three other countries in calling for equitable access to a coronavirus vaccine when one is developed. In their op-ed, the eight leaders said governments should develop a set of transparent, fair and scientifically-sound principles to guide the distribution of coronavirus vaccines. The leaders said the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility is one example of an initiative intended to ensure that any effective vaccine is distributed fairly around the world. Trudeau recently called for countries to pull together in the race for a vaccine when attending two events meant to raise funds for vaccine research and development. The world leaders argued that successfully developing a vaccine and then distributing it broadly would serve as "a cornerstone of strengthening multilateralism for the future."

Source: CBC News July 15, 2020 21:33 UTC