Angela Merkel Raises Concern Over Coronavirus Vaccine Plan For Poorer Countries

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is raising concerns with the leaders of the world's wealthiest countries that when a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, poorer countries could miss out.

Speaking on Sunday during a two-day virtual G20 global summit, Merkel said progress toward developing a system for distribution to less wealthy countries has been slow and that she would raise the issue with the global vaccine alliance, GAVI.

"We will now speak with GAVI about when these negotiations will begin because I am somewhat worried that nothing has been done on that yet," she said.

Merkel shared her concern just as pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and U.K. have reported major progress in coronavirus vaccine development. That progress means U.S. recipients could get the vaccine as soon as Dec. 11, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of the coronavirus vaccine program, said this month.

But Duke University researchers suggested earlier this month that poor countries may have to wait up to four years to get a vaccine, while wealthy nations claim the lion share of the world's future doses, leaving billions of people without immunizations.