COUNTRIES TO IGNORE WHO'S CALL FOR MORATORIUM ON COVID BOOSTER SHOTS

  • 05/08/2021

In a major snub to the World Health Organization (WHO), many countries have decided to go ahead with their booster shot plan for elderly and vulnerable groups. On Wednesday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus called for a moratorium on third vaccine dose of recommended two-dose regimen until September end in a bid to enable all countries to vaccinate at least 10% of their population.According to the WHO, low-income countries have been able to administer only 1.5 doses for every 100 people due to a lack of vaccine supplies. Calling for an urgent reversal of global vaccine policy, Tedros told a press briefing that 80% of the vaccine doses administered worldwide have gone to high- and upper-middle-income countries.

Despite the strong statement by the UN health agency, France, Germany and Israel appear to press ahead with their plan. After WHO’ call, French President Emmanuel Macron said his government was working on rolling out a third Covid-19 vaccine dose for the elderly and vulnerable from September.German health ministry stated that it intends to administer boosters to immunocompromised patients, elderly and nursing home residents from September but would also donate at least 30 million doses to poorer countries. "We want to provide the vulnerable groups in Germany with a precautionary third vaccination and at the same time support the vaccination of as many people in the world as possible,"the health ministry said.Israel has already kicked off a campaign to give booster doses to older citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that those over the age of 60 are six times more susceptible to severe illness without a third dose. While the United States hasn’t directly commented on the WHO’s call, the White House said the administration was prepared to provide a third dose of vaccine if needed.

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