WHO: New Covid-19 variants will emerge unless more are vaccinated

The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticised the global failure to deliver Covid-19 vaccines at scale outside high-income countries and says unless every country vaccinates its population, variants will continue to emerge.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, a lead infectious diseases epidemiologist, says that the WHO is asking for 70% of the population in all countries to be vaccinated by July 2022. She believes that is possible, with production capacity, but will only happen if manufacturers allow countries to make those purchases. She goes on to say that new variants and viruses will continue to emerge until people in every country of the world are vaccinated, and that public health measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing, also need to be observed.

"We cannot boost our way out of this pandemic. We need to increase vaccination amongst those at risk in every single country and not just boost some people in some countries over and over again."

Photo: A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer coronavirus disease vaccine in Johannesburg, South Africa Credit: Reuters