Vast inequities in accessing vaccines fuelling two-track pandemic, WHO chief says

London - Vaccine equity is the best way to control the pandemic, reboot the global economy, Dr Tedros says at India Global Forum.

Vast inequities in accessing vaccines are fuelling a two-track pandemic, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organisaton, at the second day of the India Global Forum on Thursday.

“While some countries have reached high levels of vaccine coverage, many others don't have enough to vaccinate health workers, older people, and other at-risk groups. The pandemic shows the risk of relying on a few companies to supply global public goods like vaccines,” the Director General said in a sombre tone.

According to Our World in Data, Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to more than three billion people across the world. More than 852 million people have been fully vaccinated. However, there is a stark gap between vaccination programmes in different countries with some having vaccinated more than half of their population and some yet to report a single dose.

“The consequences of the resulting inequities in cases and deaths from Covid-19 globally remain high in many areas even as new variants of concern are emerging,” added Dr Ghebreyesus.