9 more months needed to achieve herd immunization despite 2 bln doses administered globally: Bloomberg

NEW YORK - Inoculations against COVID-19 have reached 2 billion as the world races to contain the pandemic, but at the current pace, it will take nine more months to vaccinate 75 percent of the global population needed to provide herd immunity, Bloomberg said in a recent report.

The vaccination rollout has been uneven, mainly benefiting the developed world while lower-income countries have struggled to source shots. The wealthiest 27 countries have administered about 29 percent of vaccinations globally but have only 10 percent of the world's population, said the report.

The United States and Britain led the way with vaccinations early, China has given the most doses and European Union members have been catching up after a slow start, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.

China now accounts for about two-thirds of the roughly 36 million shots given daily. The EU is administering the second-highest number, with about 3.6 million doses daily, followed by India with 2.6 million.

In the United States, 89.4 doses have been administered for every 100 people. That compares with a global average of 23 doses per 100 people, said the report.

Although 2 billion doses would be equivalent to more than a quarter of the world's population, the proportion immunized is well below that level because most of the vaccines in use require two shots to be fully effective, and some people have received only one.

The virus has stricken almost 172 million people and killed close to 3.7 million since the first cases emerged.