WHO releases global Covid vax strategy

HE World Health Organisation (WHO) has published an update to the Global Coronavirus (Covid-19) Vaccination Strategy, in response to the spread of Omicron sub-variants, advances in vaccine evidence, and lessons from the global vaccination programme.
According to WHO, in the first year of rollouts, Covid-19 vaccines were estimated to have saved 19.8 million lives.
Through unprecedentedly large and rapid rollouts worldwide, over 12 billion doses have been administered globally, in nearly every country in the world, resulting in countries reaching 60 per cent of their populations on average.
Yet only 28 per cent of older populations and 37 per cent of healthcare workers in low-income countries have been vaccinated with their primary series.
Twenty-seven of WHO’s member states have not yet started a booster or additional dose programme, 11 of which are low-income countries.
The strategy aims to use primary and booster doses to reduce deaths and severe disease, in order to protect health systems, societies and economies.
On the way to reaching the 70 per cent vaccination target, countries should prioritise achieving the underpinning targets of vaccinating 100 per cent of healthcare workers and 100 per cent of the most vulnerable groups, including older populations (over 60) and those who are immunocompromised or have underlying conditions.
“Even where 70 per cent vaccination coverage is achieved, if significant numbers of health workers, older people and other at-risk groups remain unvaccinated, deaths will continue, health systems will remain under pressure and global recovery will be at risk,” WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“The strategy emphasises the need for measuring progress in vaccinating these groups and developing approaches which would include using local data and engaging communities to sustain demand for vaccines, building systems for vaccinating adults, and reaching more displaced people through humanitarian responses.”