Covid vaccine nationalism will prolong pandemic: WHO chief

Dubai - Health must be seen not as a cost to be contained, but as a key to sustainable development, he said.

Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic and vaccines must be shared equitably between nations, the World Health Organization chief has said.

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“In combination with proven public health measures, vaccines are now giving us hope for bringing the pandemic under control. But we will only do that if vaccines are shared equitably between nations,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, while delivering his keynote address on Day two of the virtual World Government Summit (WGS) Dialogues.

"The more opportunity the virus has to spread, the more opportunity it has to change in ways that could make vaccines less effective. Vaccine nationalism will only prolong the pandemic, and the human and economic suffering that goes with it."

Although vaccines will help, he said there are still many challenges. “Health must be seen not as a cost to be contained, but as an investment in productive and resilient populations, and a key to sustainable development.”