KSrelief signs cooperation pacts to support Syria    Riyadh Chamber warns unlicensed foreign IT firms harming local companies    Al-Rajhi launches Regulation on Occupational Fitness and Non-Communicable Diseases Examinations    NCM: Increased rainfall expected in Saudi Arabia during this fall    PIF signs MoU with Macquarie Asset Management to boost investments in infrastructure and energy transition    Saudi Real GDP records growth of 3.9% in Q2 2025    South Korea reaches deal to bring home citizens detained in US Hyundai raid    Duped of millions in 'digital arrest', Indian woman seeks answers from banks    Thousands pay their last respects to Giorgio Armani, private funeral on Monday    French doctor goes on trial for poisoning 30 patients, 12 fatally    Saudi skies witness rare Blood Moon total lunar eclipse    European leaders to visit US to discuss war in Ukraine, Trump says    The key to happiness    Saudi Justice Ministry to host 2nd International Conference on Judicial Training in Riyadh    OPEC+ to increase further oil output in October    Gamers frustrated as Hollow Knight: Silksong crashes stores on launch    'My mother was my shelter and storm': Arundhati Roy on her fierce new memoir    Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. set to meet in exhibition boxing match in 2026    Al Hilal sign Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek on €22m deal until 2029    Al Qadsiah sign German midfielder Julian Weigl to strengthen defensive midfield    Al Ahli secure Flamengo starlet Matheus Gonçalves in long-term deal through 2027    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



COVID-19: Wealthy nations urged to delay youth vaccines, donate to solidarity scheme
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 05 - 2021

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday appealed for wealthier countries to delay vaccinating younger people against COVID-19 and instead donate doses to the COVAX global vaccine solidarity initiative.
Speaking during WHO's bi-weekly media briefing, agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated his warning against "vaccine nationalism", as low-income nations currently receive a paltry 0.3 percent of supply.
'Trickle down' strategy
"In a handful of rich countries, which bought up the majority of the vaccine supply, lower risk groups are now being vaccinated," he said.
"I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to COVAX."
Tedros reported that vaccine supply in low and lower-middle income countries has not been sufficient to even immunize health and care workers.
"Trickle down vaccination is not an effective strategy for fighting a deadly respiratory virus," he said.
This year could be deadlier
As of Friday, there were more than 160.8 million cases of COVID-19 globally.
The disease "has already cost more than 3.3 million lives and we're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," Tedros told journalists.
India remains "hugely concerning", he said, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt are also among countries that are dealing with spikes in cases and hospitalizations.
"Some countries in the Americas still have high numbers of cases and as a region, the Americas accounted for 40% of all COVID-19 deaths last week. There are also spikes in some countries in Africa."
Welcome developments
Tedros stressed that the only way out of the pandemic is through a combination of public health measures and vaccination, not one or the other.
While vaccine supply remains a key challenge, he pointed to new developments this week to address surrounding issues.
Several countries have announced they will share vaccines with COVAX. Other measures include new deals on tech transfers to scale-up vaccine production, and calls by world leaders to lift trade barriers.
Unmasking the pandemic
With some authorities, including in the United States, lifting policies on wearing masks in public, WHO continues to recommend their use as part of a comprehensive strategy for controlling coronavirus spread.
Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, WHO Technical Lead on COVID-19, explained that mask mandates depend on key factors, principally the intensity of virus transmission in any given area.
"It's about how much virus is circulating around in a country. It's about the amount of vaccines and vaccinations that are rolling out. It's about variants of interest, the variants of concern, that are circulating," she said, responding to a journalist's question on the updated guidance in the US, issued on Thursday.
"We have to keep all of this in mind when thinking about how to adjust the policies associated with the use of masks."
Keep masks in the mix
Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO executive director, echoed her statement, adding that "even in situations where you have high vaccine coverage, if you have got a lot of transmission then you wouldn't take your mask off."
While high vaccination coverage should also mean low community transmission of the virus, he said "we are at a point where many countries are facing a situation where the transmission hasn't completely ended, and people aren't completely vaccinated."
Dr. Ryan said as long as authorities sustain public health measures as they work to increase vaccination, "countries will be in a much stronger position when they do get to high vaccine coverage levels to start saying to people 'You don't have to wear a mask anymore.'" — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.