WHO "Vaccine Nationalism Worsens Problem... International Community Should Prioritize Joint Procurement"

Countries That Purchased Excess Vaccines Urged to Donate to COVAX

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged vaccine manufacturers and countries to stop direct transactions in order to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The situation is worsening as countries competitively purchase vaccines.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 8th (local time), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated in a virtual press briefing, "Vaccine nationalism harms us all and actually worsens the problem," expressing his desire to see manufacturers prioritize vaccine supply through COVAX. He emphasized the use of the COVAX facility, an international project led by WHO for joint vaccine procurement and distribution.

Director-General Ghebreyesus pointed out that countries competing to purchase vaccines "potentially drive up prices and mean that high-risk groups in poor and marginalized countries do not get vaccinated."

He mentioned that among the 42 countries that have started vaccination so far, 36 are high-income countries and 6 are middle-income countries.

Ghebreyesus also called on countries that have purchased more vaccines than necessary to donate them. He said, "We urge countries that have contracted for more vaccines than needed and control global supply to immediately donate them to COVAX."

Meanwhile, he revealed that the schedule for the international expert team's visit to China to investigate the origin of COVID-19 will be finalized next week. Originally, the expert team planned to arrive in China earlier this month and visit Wuhan, where COVID-19 was first detected, but the visit has been delayed because China has not completed the necessary procedures.

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