The World Health Organization said Sunday that a United Nations backed program shipping coronavi-rus vaccines to many poor countries has now deliv-ered one billion doses, but that milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains” after hoarding and stockpiling in rich countries.
A shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Rwanda on Saturday included the billionth dose supplied via the COVAX program, the UN health agency said.
WHO has long criticized the unequal distribu-tion of vaccines and called for manufacturers and other countries to prioritize COVAX. It said that, as of Thursday, 36 of its 194 member countries had vaccinated less than 10% of their population and 88 had vaccinated less than 40%.
The program has made deliveries to 144 coun-tries so far, “but the work that has gone into this milestone is only a reminder of the work that re-mains,” WHO said in a statement. “COVAX’s ambition was compromised by hoarding/stockpiling in rich countries, catastrophic outbreaks leading to borders and supply being locked,” it added. “And a lack of sharing of li-censes, technology and know-how by pharmaceuti-cal companies meant manufacturing capacity went unused.”
World Health Organisation official warned last week of a closing window of opportunity for Euro-pean countries to prevent their health care systems from being overwhelmed as the omicron variant produces near-vertical growth in coronavirus infec-tions, AP reports. In France, Britain and Spain, nations with com-paratively strong national health programmes, that window may already be closed.
The director of an intensive care unit at a hospi-tal in Strasbourg is turning patients away. A surgeon at a London hospital describes a critical delay in a man’s cancer diagnosis. Spain is seeing its determi-nation to prevent a system collapse tested as omi-cron keeps medical personnel off work.
Britain’s vaccinated travellers will be able to go on half-term holidays next month without taking Covid-19 tests on their return, The Times reported.
Transport minister Grant Shapps is in favour of ending the testing system for the double-jabbed in time for the February break, the report said.—AFP
