WHO: Uneven distribution of COVID vaccines impairs economy

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday against a widening gap between the numbers of coronavirus vaccines in wealthy countries and those distributed to poorer nations through the global COVAX initiative, Report informs with reference to the Global Times.

"The gap between the number of vaccines administered in rich countries, and the number of vaccines administered through COVAX is growing every single day," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"The unequitable distribution of vaccines is not just a moral outrage, it's also economically and epidemiologically self-defeating," Tedros added, during a virtual conference hosted by the UAE to address global immunization.

"As long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted, and the economic recovery will be further delayed."

The WHO chief had called for all countries to begin vaccinating within the first 100 days of the year, but as that deadline nears, 36 countries are still to receive a single dose.

Sixteen of those are scheduled to receive their first doses through COVAX within the next two weeks, but the other 20 countries are expected to miss out.