Greta Thunberg slams ‘extremely unequal’ vaccine distribution as she gets her shot

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed “unequal” vaccine distribution worldwide when she announced she had received her first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Thunberg, 18, shared an image of herself with a mask on and a bandaged arm on Twitter along with a thread on the need to ramp up vaccination, especially in poorer nations. 

She shared how “grateful and privileged” she was to live in a country where she could get vaccinated. 

“Today I got my first Covid-19 vaccination dose. I am extremely grateful and privileged to be able to live in a part of the world where I can get vaccinated. Vaccine distribution around the world is extremely unequal.

“No-one is safe until everyone is safe. When you get offered a vaccine, don’t hesitate. It saves lives,” she said after quoting a New York Times article highlighting unequal vaccine distribution. 

Thunberg, known for being critical on the climate crisis, started a climate change campaign that swelled from a one-person school strike to a worldwide movement, drawing in millions of schoolchildren and adults.

She criticised world leaders over climate change in a speech to the UN in 2019, has clashed with former US president Donald Trump, and last December called for urgent action five years after the Paris Accord.

Additional reporting by Reuters