WHO chief urges vaccine support for poorest

Richer nations asked to consider global situation

The World Health Organization, or WHO, has called on rich countries to donate vaccines to the global COVAX scheme, instead of inoculating their own citizens in lower-risk categories, in the face of an imbalance of vaccine access worldwide.

Speaking at Friday's media briefing, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The fact that so many are still not protected is a sad reflection on the gross distortion in access to vaccines across the globe.

"In a handful of rich countries, which bought up the majority of the vaccine supply, lower-risk groups are now being vaccinated," he continued. "I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to COVAX."

He pointed out that in low and lower-middle income countries, vaccine supply has not even been enough to immunize health and care workers, and hospitals are being inundated with people in urgent need of lifesaving care.

Just 0.3 percent of vaccine supply is currently going to low-income countries, according to the WHO. Tedros stressed "trickle-down vaccination is not an effective strategy for fighting a deadly respiratory virus".

At the moment, India remains a huge cause for concern, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Tedros said the WHO is responding, with thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks and other medical supplies being shipped to support the country's fight against the infection surge.

Aside from India, the WHO also noted Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt are just some of the other countries dealing with spikes in cases and hospitalizations.

COVID-19 has already cost more than 3.3 million lives, and the whole world is on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first.

"Saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination – not one or the other - is the only way out of the pandemic," said Tedros.

While vaccine supply remains a key challenge, Tedros said he is pleased to see political leaders and manufacturers working to address some of these issues.

"There have been a number of new country announcements about sharing vaccines with COVAX, which is the fastest way to ensure equitable rollout of vaccines," he said. "New deals involving tech-transfer and sharing of know-how between international manufacturers to scale up vaccine production have been announced."

Tedros also welcomed leaders including Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who have called for all trade barriers to be lifted as soon as possible.

He added: "The WHO has again convened researchers and scientists from around the world, to update the research and innovation roadmap to take stock of what we've learned and identify the most pressing knowledge gaps."