Greed of rich countries prolonging the Covid-19 pandemic: WHO chief
GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) blasted the senseless "greed" of rich countries considering Covid-19 booster vaccinations while the most vulnerable in other nations were left exposed to the virus.
The WHO also scolded vaccine manufacturers prioritising deals for booster third doses rather than first and second shots for the completely unvaccinated healthcare workers and elderly people in poorer nations.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the question he was most often asked was when the pandemic would end.
"We can end it very soon, because we have the tools now," he said - but for the lack of decisive global leadership.
Dr Tedros said vaccine nationalism was "prolonging the agony" and there was only "one word that can explain this... it is greed".
Rolling out booster doses while the virus rips through other parts of the world was counter-productive, he argued.
Dr Tedros said: "It does not even make any sense. It makes no sense."
He took aim at vaccine manufacturers.
"Instead of Moderna and Pfizer prioritising the supply of vaccines as boosters to countries whose populations have relatively high coverage, we need them to go all-out to channel supply to Covax," he said.
He was referring to the programme that is seeking to provide equitable access to doses for the most vulnerable. - AFP
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