Vaccines Another Window of Opportunity to Bring the Pandemic Under Control - WHO

By Staff, Agencies

The World Health Organization [WHO] Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said vaccines are giving us another window of opportunity to bring the pandemic under control.

“A year ago, I said the world had a ‘window of opportunity’ to prevent widespread transmission of this new virus. Some countries heeded that call; some did not. Now, vaccines are giving us another window of opportunity to bring the pandemic under control. We must not squander it," Ghebreyesus told reporters on Friday in Geneva.

"The pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world. There is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic – vaccines – may exacerbate those same inequalities.”

He continued, “vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s ultimately short-sighted and self-defeating. We will not end the pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere."

The WHO chief also stated, "my message to governments is to vaccinate your health workers and older people, and share excess doses with COVAX, so other countries can do the same.”

“My message to people in countries that are now rolling out vaccines is: Use your voice to advocate for your government to share doses. If you are someone at lower risk, please wait your turn," the WHO concluded.