WHO chief labels the Covid booster dose a "scandal"

18

Nov

PRAKSHI RAWAT

The World Health Organization's (WHO) chief has described the distribution of Covid-19 booster doses as a "scandal," as developing countries wait for the very first shot.

Every day, six times more booster shots are administered globally than primary doses in low-income countries, according to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"It makes no logical sense to offer boosters to healthy adults or to vaccinate children when health professionals, the elderly, and other high-risk organizations around the world are still waiting at their first dose, "Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated. Compromised immune systems people are few and far between, because we've always stated".

SURGE OF COVID-19 IN EUROPE

Last week, about 2 million instances of Covid-19 were exported to Europe, the largest in a single week since pandemic began. Over the same time period, about 27,000 deaths have occurred in Europe, accounting for more than half of the Covid-19 mortality globally in the previous week, because of this situation the government is increasing the number of Oxygen production plants.

The forum pointed to the fact that, while coronavirus instances are increasing in Eastern Europe with lower vaccination coverage, they are also increasing in Western European countries with some of the highest vaccination costs in the region. Vaccines, as per the World Health Organization, don't really eliminate the need for further Covid-19 precautions. This is not just about how many people get vaccinated, but rather about who is vaccinated, according to the WHO.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during the weekly briefing that the COVAX vaccine distribution initiative has supplied about 500 million doses to 144 countries around the world.

He went on to say that an additional 550 million doses are needed to complete the WHO's goal of vaccinating 40% of the population of each and every U.S. by the end of last year.

Who’s In the middle of a vaccine emergency?

According to recent studies from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 22 million infants missed their first dose of measles vaccine last year, up 3 million from the previous year and the largest amount in two decades.

Aside from that, the Covid-19 outbreak has forced the suspension of 24 measles vaccine campaigns in 23 countries, leaving more than 93 million people at risk of contracting one of several world's most dangerous infections. Government is still focusing on inaugurating oxygen cylinder filling plants.

"Inequitable access to life-saving drugs is regrettably not only a problem in Covid-19; it's a concern in many diseases, including diabetes," the world health organization said.