Amid the rising number of Omicron variant Covid-19 cases across the globe, the World Health Organisation has declared the variant as a ‘concern’ and said that ‘it is very unlikely that Omicron would be the last variant of concern before the pandemic is over’. “The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is killing people and should not be dismissed as mild”, the WHO noted on Thursday.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a media briefing blamed the low vaccination rates for inflated Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Omicron cases. “Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery”, he said.
“While some countries have had enough personal protective equipment, tests & vaccines to stockpile throughout this pandemic, many countries do not have enough to meet basic baseline needs or modest targets, which no rich country would have been satisfied with.”-@DrTedros
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 6, 2022
This is a week after 9.5 million, the highest number of COVID19 cases were reported to WHO so far in the pandemic. The WHO chief also affirmed that Omicron cannot be categorised as mild, even though it appears less severe as compared to the Delta variant. “Just like previous variants; Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing. In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world”, Dr Tedros said.
He meanwhile used the stage to slam the way rich nations had monopolized available vaccine doses last year saying that it had created the perfect breeding ground for the emergence of Coronavirus variants. He also urged the world to share out vaccine doses more fairly in 2022, to end the death and destruction of COVID-19.
“While some countries have had enough personal protective equipment, tests & vaccines to stockpile throughout this pandemic, many countries do not have enough to meet basic baseline needs or modest targets, which no rich country would have been satisfied with,” he said. Dr Tedros further said that “Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery.”
The WHO has stated to continue to invest in vaccine manufacturing hubs and work with any and all manufacturers who are willing to share know-how, technology and licenses.
“WHO will continue to invest in vaccine manufacturing hubs and work with any and all manufacturers who are willing to share know-how, technology and licenses.”-@DrTedros https://t.co/MeCNDRHGaF
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 6, 2022
Tedros said that the WHO wants 70 per cent of the population jabbed in every country by mid-2022. “Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected”, he added. It is worth noting here that 90 per cent of the Indians have been administered with the first dose of vaccine and 70 per cent with the second dose. A total of 1.5 Billion vaccine doses have been administered in India.
The WHO’s COVID technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove insisted people to continue to step up the measures they were already taking to protect themselves against the virus.
