The Omicron variant might be our last warning about vaccinating Africa

Do you want variants? This is how you get variants.

A vaccination clinic.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

Over Thanksgiving weekend, global markets were convulsed by news of a new coronavirus variant, dubbed "Omicron" by the World Health Organization after discovery by South African scientists. It raised the prospect of yet another major surge of cases and deaths all around the world.

Though that initial panic may be overblown, Omicron is still extremely concerning — and an object lesson in the crazy risk of letting so much of Africa remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. I and many others have been warning variants would arise there, and now one has. Without rapid mass vaccination, this won't be the last time it happens.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.