Rich countries should join COVAX vaccine facility by Friday, urges WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said countries, mostly rich nations, which have not joined the COVAX vaccine facility yet, should join it by Friday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, thanking the nations who have expressed interest in joining the coronavirus vaccine facility, said, “I urge those of you have not yet joined to do so by this Friday.”

According to a Reuters report, currently “92 lower-income nations are seeking assistance via the COVAX facility”. The report said that around 80 higher-income nations have expressed their interest to join the vaccine facility, however, they need to confirm their intention to join by this Friday. 

Tedros Adhanom, while virtually addressing a regional event for Europe, said if the people in the low and middle-income countries ‘miss-out on vaccine’, the coronavirus will continue to kill people and the “economic recovery globally will be delayed.” 

Tedros said the priority supply of the vaccine should be given to essential workers and those who are at the most risk of the virus, ‘including older people and those with underlying conditions.’

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He explained, that through the “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility, we’re working to ensure that if and when a vaccine is proven to be safe and effective.”

However, WHO urged on the need to follow the strict protocols to prevent virus infection, saying, “we do not have to wait for a vaccine. We must work with the tools we have.”

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WHO has warned Europe will face a rising death toll from the coronavirus during the autumn months. It reported 307,930 new cases worldwide on Sunday, the highest daily figure since the beginning of the pandemic in China late last year, as global cases are rapidly approaching 29 million.