Save vaccines for COVAX, not boosters: WHO

The World Health Organization called on Thursday for vaccine makers to prioritise deliveries of Covid-19 jabs to the COVAX dose-sharing facility for poorer countries and said that no more doses should go to countries with more than 40 per cent coverage.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said that boosters should not be administered except to people who are immunocompromised.

“We continue to call on manufacturers of vaccines that already have WHO Emergency Use Listing to prioritise COVAX, not shareholder profit,” he said.

Europe registered a 55 per cent rise in Covid-19 cases in the last four weeks, despite the availability of vaccines, WHO technical lead for Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove said.

WHO emergency director Mike Ryan said that some European countries have “sub-optimal vaccination coverage” despite availability.

“It’s a warning shot for the world to see what is happening in Europe despite availability of vaccination,” he told a news conference.