WHO: "Booster Shots Prolong the Pandemic... Vaccine Inequality Creates New Variants"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the booster shot plans for COVID-19 vaccines being pursued one after another by developed countries deepen global vaccine inequality and could rather prolong the pandemic. This is interpreted as a warning that if COVID-19 variants continue to emerge in underdeveloped countries with low vaccine coverage, it could lead to more dangerous situations.

On the 22nd (local time), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a COVID-19 briefing, "Comprehensive booster shot programs further concentrate vaccine supplies in countries with already high vaccination rates and increase the risk of virus spread and new variants in countries with low vaccination rates," adding, "Booster shots could prolong the pandemic rather than end it."

This statement directly criticizes the booster shot plans of developed countries, such as Israel's recent announcement of a fourth dose plan targeting the elderly and healthcare workers, and the United States expanding booster shot eligibility from those aged 18 and over to those aged 16 and over. Director-General Ghebreyesus pointed out, "If this continues, no country will be able to escape the pandemic."

Recently, researchers in South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first discovered, have proposed a hypothesis that the Omicron variant may have emerged in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), raising calls to increase vaccination rates in underdeveloped countries.

According to a report by the BBC the previous day, a research team led by Professor Linda-Gail Bekker of the University of Cape Town is conducting studies on HIV patients infected with the Omicron variant. Professor Bekker stated, "If the immune system functions normally, it quickly eliminates invading viruses, but in people with weakened immunity, the virus often remains and replicates. The longer this period lasts, the greater the possibility of mutations."

However, WHO points out that the pandemic crisis is worsening as a significant portion of vaccines are preferentially distributed to developed countries. According to WHO, currently, 20% of the daily global vaccine doses are used for booster shots. As a result, WHO estimates that only about half of its member countries will be able to vaccinate more than 40% of their populations by the end of this year.

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