The World Health Organisation, WHO, has said COVID-19
vaccination is no guarantee that the virus would be eradicated.
WHO’s Head of Emergencies Programme, Mike Ryan, states this
during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ryan also warned that there might be a chance of another
pandemic, more serious pandemic spreading across the world, NAN reports.
“The next pandemic may be more severe; we need to get our
act together because we live on a fragile planet, and in an increasingly
complex society.
“Let’s honour those we’ve lost by getting better at what we
do,’’ he said.
WHO also listed some of its achievements in the fight
against the virus.
The body said it worked tirelessly since the virus was
reported in Wuhan, China in December, 2019.
WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said this at
the last COVID-19 press conference of the year at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
In a speech posted on the agency’s website, the
director-general said WHO had worked tirelessly since the virus was reported in
Wuhan, China in December 2019.
“If we rewind to the start of 2020, it was on 10 January
that WHO published its first comprehensive package of guidance documents for
countries, covering topics related to the management of an outbreak of a new
disease.
“The next day, WHO received the full genetic sequences for
the novel coronavirus from China and by 13 January, WHO published its first
protocol for a diagnostic test by a WHO partner lab in Germany to detect the
virus.
“By mid-January, our international technical expert networks
were engaged and meeting by teleconference to share first-hand knowledge with
the new novel coronavirus and similar respiratory viruses, such as MERS and
SARS.
“And WHO convened the Strategic Technical Advisory Group for
Infectious Hazards and the Global Alert and Response Network.
“By the end of the month, 30 January, I declared a Public
Health Emergency of International Concern, WHO’s highest level of alert under
global health law,’’ he said.
And by the start of February, he said WHO was shipping
diagnostic tests around the world so that countries could detect and respond
effectively.
“On 4 February, WHO released the first global preparedness
and response plan for COVID-19 based on the latest scientific evidence.
“At the same time, WHO was connecting scientists, funders
and manufacturers from across the globe together to accelerate research on
tests, therapeutics and vaccines.
“In mid-February, WHO’s longstanding research and
development blueprint group brought hundreds of experts from more than 40
countries together to plot out a COVID-19 research roadmap.
“This was based on years of work on other infectious
diseases including SARS, MERS and Ebola.’’
And by March, the director-general said WHO was planning the
Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which was launched with partners in
April.
The director-general said the ACT-Accelerator was a historic
collaboration to further hasten the development, production and equitable
access to vaccines, diagnostics.
“Good news came in June as initial clinical trial results
from the UK showed dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, could be lifesaving for
patients severely ill with COVID-19.
“By September, new antigen based rapid tests had been
validated and the diagnostic pillar of the ACT-Accelerator had secured millions
of them for low- and middle-income countries.
“And then the shot that rang out around the world was the
release of positive vaccine news from multiple candidates, which are now being
rolled out to vulnerable groups,’’ he said.
According to him, new ground has been broken not least with
the extraordinary cooperation between the private and public sector in this
pandemic.
“ In recent weeks, safe and effective vaccine rollout has
started in a number countries which is an incredible scientific achievement.’’
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