Booster vaccines can play a role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 as long as the people most in need of protection also have access to the injections, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
“It is a question of prioritization. The order is important. Giving boosters to groups at low risk of serious illness or death simply endangers the lives of people at high risk who are still waiting for their first doses due to supply limitations, “said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in an online information session.
“On the other hand, giving extra doses to high-risk people can save more lives than injecting the first doses to low-risk people,” he added.
As indicated, the appearance of the omicron variant of the coronavirus led some countries to implement reinforcement programs against COVID-19 for their entire adult population, despite the fact that there is still no evidence on the effectiveness of reinforcements against this mutation .
Tedros stated that 77 countries reported cases of omicron, “and the reality is that it is likely that omicron is in most countries, even if it has not yet been detected. Ómicron is spreading at a rate that we have not seen with any previous variant. “
He also indicated that the WHO is concerned that people are rating omicron as soft.
“Surely, by now we have learned that we underestimate this virus at our own risk. Even if omicron causes a less serious disease, a large number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems, “he said.
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