The search for a Covid-19 vaccine a global effort, says WHO

Pfizer vaccine efficacy lower against omicron
Pfizer vaccine prevents 70 percent hospitalisations (Planeta América Latina/Flickr)

As scientists around the world search for a Covid-19 vaccine, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), is warning that the process of developing a vaccine is long, complex and expensive. Most vaccines, warns Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, fail in early development.

A global search

“The world needs multiple vaccine candidates of different types to maximize the chances of finding a winning solution. When a successful new vaccine is found there will be greater demand that there is supply,” says Ghebreyesus.

Speaking on Thursday during a WHO media briefing on Covid-19, Ghebreyesus said the are currently nine vaccines candidates going through trials. This portfolio is already the broadest in the world and is constantly expanding, he added.

“And through the COVAX global vaccines facility, countries that represent nearly 70% of the population have signed up or expressed an interest to be part of the new initiative,” he says.

A Russian vaccinerecent reports that Russian scientist have found a Covid-19 vaccine, WHO says that they are in contact with Russian authorities to gather more information on the product.

International links

The Covid-19 outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and WHO declared the outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The global outbreak has halted internationally linked sectors, says Ghebreyesus.

“We live in a globalized economy and countries are dependent on each other for goods and services, transportation and supply. If we do not get rid of the virus everywhere, we cannot rebuild economies anywhere. The sooner we stop the pandemic, the sooner we can ensure internationally inter-linked sectors like travel, trade and tourism can truly recover,” he says.

Ghebreyesus has warned the international community to be alert for future pandemics, and work together to quell them. –Health-e News

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