The director-general of the World Health Organization has said that booster shots of the coronavirus vaccine are being administered six times more around the world daily than primary doses in low-income countries calling the disparity a scandal that must stop now.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and others at WHO have regularly criticized wealthy nations for hoarding vaccines while lower-income countries do not have enough doses to vaccinate their elderly, front-line health care workers, and other high-risk groups. In August, Tedros called for a global moratorium on boosters that he later extended until the end of the year.
However, nations including Germany, Israel, Canada, and the United States have gone ahead with booster programs.
About 28.5 million Covid vaccine doses are given daily around the world. According to the WHO, about a quarter of those is the booster or additional doses. WHO also contrasted that at least 6.9 million added daily doses globally with 1.1 million primary doses being given in low-income countries.
Tedros also warned that access to vaccines was not enough to stop the virus, pointing to a surge of infections and deaths in Europe that has led the Netherlands to plan a partial lockdown, the first recent lockdown in the region affecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
“COVID-19 is surging in countries with lower vaccination rates in Eastern Europe, but also in countries with some of the world’s highest vaccination rates in Western Europe,” Tedros said. “It’s another reminder, as we have said again and again, that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions.”
Every country should tailor its response to its situation, he said, but should also use measures like physical distancing and masking to help curb transmission and reduce pressure on health systems.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and others at WHO have regularly criticized wealthy nations for hoarding vaccines while lower-income countries do not have enough doses to vaccinate their elderly, front-line health care workers, and other high-risk groups. In August, Tedros called for a global moratorium on boosters that he later extended until the end of the year.
However, nations including Germany, Israel, Canada, and the United States have gone ahead with booster programs.
About 28.5 million Covid vaccine doses are given daily around the world. According to the WHO, about a quarter of those is the booster or additional doses. WHO also contrasted that at least 6.9 million added daily doses globally with 1.1 million primary doses being given in low-income countries.
Tedros also warned that access to vaccines was not enough to stop the virus, pointing to a surge of infections and deaths in Europe that has led the Netherlands to plan a partial lockdown, the first recent lockdown in the region affecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
“COVID-19 is surging in countries with lower vaccination rates in Eastern Europe, but also in countries with some of the world’s highest vaccination rates in Western Europe,” Tedros said. “It’s another reminder, as we have said again and again, that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions.”
Every country should tailor its response to its situation, he said, but should also use measures like physical distancing and masking to help curb transmission and reduce pressure on health systems.
