Der Seiteneingang: 12/02/21

The development of coronavirus vaccinations has raised many questions regarding distribution and costs, and this caricature addresses the moral issue of accessibility to services during the pandemic. It's title, 'The Side Door', immediately implies a lack of transparency in a system which offers shortcuts or fast-passes for those who can afford them. The image shows a vaccination facility where elderly people - i.e. people from the priority groups according to government vaccination policy - queueing at the main entrance while wealthy-looking VIPs wait around the corner for express service.

Indeed, the issue of economic and class inequality in the context of coronavirus is not a new one. For months, private companies have been offering self-testing kits which can be bought by individuals, usually for upwards of £80. This is despite the fact that individuals are sometimes obliged to take a test in order to be able to have certain freedoms, for example to travel internationally, regardless of their economic situation or ability to procure a test. Furthermore, the concept of the lockdowns, especially in terms of home-schooling and working from home, critically depends on access to technology, Wi-Fi and suitable working spaces, which places many people at a significant disadvantage to others.

In this context, it is unsurprising that the question of privilege is now being raised with regards to vaccinations. One problem is the logistics of the appointments, which often require frail and elderly people to make long journeys, or make appointments using technology which they are not familiar with. In Germany, criticism has also been directed at the EU for not buying enough vaccines to begin with, thus hindering a faster rollout. This means that people in priority groups have still had to wait longer than necessary to have their first vaccine, let alone those lower down the list. Leader of the FDP (Free Democratic Party) in Germany, Christian Lindner, tweeted: 'While #Biden has promised to offer vaccination appointments to every adult in the USA by the end of May, here in Germany vaccines are thrown away or lying around… This vaccination disaster can't keep on. We need a trifecta of vaccination, testing and opening...' (Source: https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-is-germany-throwing-away-vaccine-doses/a-56796428)

However, despite the caricature's insinuation that the rich and comfortable are being favoured, it should be said that priority is currently rightly being given to those working in key areas including healthcare, emergency and police services and education. In cases where there are vaccinations left over, these have been given to people working in key areas to avoid discarding the vaccinations altogether. This seems to be a reasonable approach to making sure vaccines do not go to waste.

For more information on the vaccine rollout in Germany, see: https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-is-germany-throwing-away-vaccine-doses/a-56796428

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/19/germanys-vaccine-rollout-challenges-and-problems-in-vaccine-strategy.html