Noemi, Blog 4, July 12

    Last week with RESULTS, we began to discuss a new campaign that will focus on global vaccine access. Before this introduction meeting, John, who leads RESULTS on global policy, shared a video with us to watch from a meeting at the UN with the WHO. A listener in the audience asked leaders how they were going to ensure that developing countries efficiently distribute vaccines in their countries to those who need it most. They responded saying that the main issue with global vaccine access is not actually efficient distribution but actually, sufficient production. The supply of vaccines globally is simply too low. Not enough vaccines are being produced to give a significant amount to struggling countries after developed countries buy them all. It also has to do with intellectual property and many are in the process of discussing how patents shouldn’t be placed on vaccines to deal with crises like COVID-19. I would argue that patents shouldn’t be placed on anything that has to do with global health. What RESULTS will be doing to support global access is advocating for the Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate (NOVID) Act led by Congresspeople Krishnamoorthi and Merkley. As poorer countries continue to have low vaccination rates, variants continue to develop and spread, oftentimes more dangerous and contagious than the original variant we were all afraid of. This bill would authorize a total of $34 billion to spend on Coronavirus. On our side, the most RESULTS can do is support through Dear Colleague Letters, especially because there has been recent discussion surrounding Grassroots burnout.

During meetings, many staff members have brought up how a lot of grassroots volunteers have been feeling burned out. They acknowledged that RESULTS has definitely been working the volunteers almost nonstop since December. I like that they took this input into account right away and discussed extensively what they have been hearing and noticing from the volunteers as well as how to best deal with this. I have had similar feelings to the volunteers. Since August I feel as though I have been pushing through online work and in-person work almost non-stop. During the semester especially, academic stress piles on for me and oftentimes, I don’t deal with it effectively. I have completely burned out and broken down various times and I struggle with preventing this. It seems to be a semester routine at this point. Working one, usually 2 jobs during the semester gets exhausting and when academics get more intense during exam periods, it gets to be too much. Now that next month I’ll be starting my senior year, it is my hope to show some improvement in this sense. I am anticipating what workload and life will be like after I graduate. I can’t help but feel grateful that this internship has given me a preview of what it may be like. I have definitely been enjoying the work environment RESULTS provides. They always provide me with support and affirmations which gives me the motivation I need to keep going and complete the important work we do.