JAKARTA, Indonesia (PA) – The World Health Organization said on Thursday that countries in the Asia-Pacific region are not guaranteed early access to COVID-19 features and urged them to take a long-term approach. of the pandemic.
“The development of safe and effective vaccines is one thing. Producing them in adequate quantities and reaching everyone who needs them is another, ”WHO regional director Dr. Takeshi Kasai told reporters in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
While some countries with independent vaccine purchase agreements could start vaccination campaigns in the coming months, others could see vaccination begin in mid or late 2021, said Dr. Socorro Escalante, WHO coordinator of essential medicines and health technologies.
“It is important to stress that most, if not all, countries in the Western Pacific region are part of the COVAX center,” Escalante said. “Within the COVAX center we expect vaccines to arrive in the second quarter of 2021.”
COVAX was created by the WHO, the GAVI and CEPI vaccine alliance, a global coalition to fight epidemics, in an effort to ensure equitable access to vaccines worldwide.
WHO representatives also urged prioritization of high-risk groups for vaccination, as vaccines will only be available in limited quantities.
The health agency warned that mass vaccination will not stop the virus and that governments must adopt a long-term mindset and approach when new cases are detected, including increased testing, contact tracking and quarantine measures.
“The virus doesn’t rest, so we need to continue with our responses by making sure they are implemented consistently,” Dr. Babatunde Olowokure, WHO Regional Director of Emergencies.
Olowokure also called on young people, who represent a growing number of new confirmed cases in the region, to adhere to social distancing and other measures.
WHO’s Western Pacific region is home to nearly 1.9 billion people in 37 countries and territories.
Globally, the virus has infected more than 74 million people and killed more than 1.6 million. More than 41.9 million people have recovered from the disease.
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