The Associated Press reports:
The head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year, expanding a call that has largely fallen on deaf ears.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said Wednesday he was “appalled” at comments by a leading association of pharmaceutical manufacturers who said vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots and vaccinations in countries in dire need of jabs but facing shortages.
“I will not stay silent when companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world’s poor should be satisfied with leftovers,” he told a news conference.
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Director-General @drtedros calls for an extension of @WHO‘s moratorium on Covid boosters for healthy adults until at least the end of 2021. Last month he called for a moratorium until the end of Sept to try to rebalance vaccine supplies. It hasn’t made a difference, Tedros said.
— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 8, 2021
The #COVID19 pandemic and gross vaccine inequity are a clear demonstration that we must build manufacturing capacity in Africa for vaccines and other medical products. @WHO is committed to support building that capacity in Africa.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 8, 2021