A lot of people are optimistic about the blanket COVID vaccine booster programs, but the World Health Organization (WHO) is once again there to raise an important problem. The Government agency doesn’t criticize the vaccination boosting itself, but the fact that there’s a significant difference between how many people are getting vaccinated in some countries, compared to other parts of the world.
In other words, more mutant variants of the coronavirus could emerge if some countries vaccinate their people at a much lower rate than others. Countries considered poor have problems in obtaining even the first vaccination doses.
Prolonging the COVID pandemic?
During a news briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared, as cited by CNBC.com:
Blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic, rather than ending it, by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of vaccination coverage, giving the virus more opportunity to spread and mutate.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than other strains, as experts believe. The US is currently promoting vaccine boosters in its effort to stop the new surge.
According to the same source mentioned above, Tedros also raises awareness that the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths caused by COVID are in the case of those who aren’t vaccinated, not among the ones who only lack the booster dose.
The WHO Director-General also released a statement that will probably become famous, as cited by CNBC.com:
No country can boost its way out of the pandemic.
While a lot of experts are concerned about the Omicron variant, former FDA chief Dr. Scott Gottlieb, brings some good news. He says there’s no indication that Omicron can lead to more severe disease for a COVID patient compared to other variants of the virus.
