Pope Francis said the vaccines are essential tools in the fight against the virus VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday called for vaccinations to be shared with the world’s poorest countries, saying they were “an essential tool” in the fight against COVID-19. “I urge the entire international community... to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries,” the head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics said in his Easter address.