WHO "Even with COVID-19 vaccines, long way to go until pandemic ends"

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General (Geneva Reuters=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that despite the continuous news of new COVID-19 vaccine developments, there is still a long way to go before the pandemic ends.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual press briefing on the 4th (local time), "We are all encouraged by the progress on vaccines, and now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel." However, he also pointed out, "WHO is concerned about the growing perception that the COVID-19 pandemic is over."

Director-General Ghebreyesus stressed that there is still a long way to go before the pandemic ends, and that the policies of governments and the behavior of citizens will determine its course. He said, "It has been a difficult year, and we know people are tired, but hospitals have reached or already exceeded their limits," adding, "We are witnessing that the COVID-19 virus is spreading at very high levels in many places, which is putting enormous pressure on hospitals, intensive care units, and healthcare workers."

Michael Ryan, head of WHO's Emergency Response Team, also warned that while vaccines will play an important role in ending COVID-19, "the vaccine itself does not mean zero COVID-19." He added, "We are seeing data that immunity from vaccination may not last a lifetime, and therefore reinfections can occur."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.