As WHO warns of ‘two-track pandemic’, EU plans more COVID vaccine donations

The unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has allowed the coronavirus to continue to spread and evolve into new variants, which could render these treatments ineffective, said the chief of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday. 

“Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not just those with the fewest vaccines”, the Director-General of WHO said. 

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He added, “Increasingly, we see a two-track pandemic: many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while some of those with the highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions.”

Tedros Adhanom called world leaders to share their excess doses with the global vaccine equity initiative, COVAX. After the WHO’s call, John Ryan, a senior European Commission health official, said the bloc is hoping to donate 100 million more vaccine doses to low and middle-income nations by year-end, using the COVAX facility as the main channel.

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As of June 06, globally there are over 173 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 while 3.7 million people have died from the pandemic across the globe. 

According to the WHO’s data, nearly 44% of doses have been administered in rich nations while only 0.4% in poorer nations.

While new COVID cases have dropped for six weeks and deaths from the virus for five weeks, the WHO chief said that despite these “encouraging signs”, progress remains “a mixed picture” as last week as deaths rose in Africa, the Americas, and the Western Pacific. Tedros Adhanom warned nations against lifting restrictions as he said the move will increase the risk of global transmission of variants of concern.