The World Health Organization doubled down in its appeal against giving Covid-19 booster shots to healthy adults or vaccines to low-risk groups Monday, warning that hard-won gains could vanish in an instant.
The emergence of omicron shows that hard-won gains could disappear in an instant, Tedros said.
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The World Health Organization's director-general told the World Health Assembly that they cannot end the epidemic unless they solve the vaccine crisis.
Tedros said that the agency understands that every government has a responsibility to protect its own people, but that ending the distribution of vaccines is in every country's best interest.
Tedros said that the longer inequity persists, the more opportunity the virus has to spread and evolve.
The emergence of omicron, a highly-mutated coronaviruses variant, highlights the fact that hard-won gains could disappear in an instant, Tedros said.
Tedros said that Omicron reminded them that Covid-19 isn't done with them.
Tedros said that only 1 in 4 health workers in Africa have been vaccined. It is clear that in the future, countries will need tailored booster strategies with the emergence of evidence of waning vaccine immunity. WHO still believes that health workers, older people and other at-risk groups must bevaccinated first in all countries before those at low risk of serious disease, and before boosters are given to already-vaccinated healthy adults.
80%. Tedros said how many of the world's vaccines have gone to G20 countries. The majority of Africa have received just 0.6% of vaccines. Tedros said that almost 8 billion vaccines have been administered.
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Tedros said South Africa should not be punished for detecting and reporting the variant. Tedros said that the current system penalizes countries from alerting others to threats that will inevitably land on their shores.
The key background.
The WHO designated omicron, or B. 1.1.529, a variant of concern last week after researchers in South Africa sounded the alarm over a potentially dangerous form of the virus. South Africa, which has faced restrictions and travel bans, complained that it was being punished for having the ability to detect and alert the world to the threat of the new variant. It said that science should be applauded and not punished.
The Omicron Covid variant poses a high global risk.
Why did WHO not include the new variant of COVID?
China says it will protect it against Omicron variant.
The first cases of Omicron variant were found in North America.
Coverage and live updates on the coronaviruses.
