WHO: A new generation of vaccines focused on preventing contagion will be needed

The Technical Advisory Group on the Composition of the Vaccine against Covid-19 (TAG-CO-VAC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) affirms that more vaccines will be needed that have a greater impact in preventing infection and the transmission of the virus, as reported by the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to this group of experts, created by the WHO in September, until such vaccines are developed, they may need to be recommended by the WHO against infection and disease.

On the other hand, the TAG-CO-VAC has also pointed out that a vaccination strategy based on repeated booster doses of the original composition of the vaccine “It is unlikely to be sustainable.”

In this sense, the group also stresses that, although some countries recommend boosters, the immediate priority for the world is to accelerate access to primary vaccination, especially for groups at higher risk of developing serious diseases. “Although vaccines remain highly effective in preventing severe disease and death, ”, insiste Tedros.

“More transmission means more hospitalizations, more deaths, more people out of work, including teachers and health workers, and more disruption to essential health and social services,” The WHO director-general said. “More transmission also means that is even more transmissible and more deadly than the previous ones”, Add.

Thus, Tedros has recalled that the magnitude and pace of transmission “They also put more pressure on health and care staff, who are already overburdened and exhausted.”

For this reason, it has reiterated that ending inequality in the distribution of vaccines, therapies and diagnoses continues to be “the key” to ending the pandemic. “If we end inequality, we will end the acute phase of the pandemic,” has commented.

In this sense, he recalled that more than 85 percent of the population of Africa (about a billion people) have not yet received a single dose of the vaccine. “We cannot end the acute phase of the pandemic unless we work together to”, has reiterated the director general of the WHO.

“More than 15 million new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the WHO globally last week, the highest number of cases reported in a single week, and we know this is an underestimate.”, said Tedros, who recalled that this increase is driven by the Omicron variant, which is replacing the Delta in almost all countries.

“The WHO continues to track Omicron and other variants. We continue to assess the transmission of this virus, its severity, and its impact on measures, including vaccines.” The director general of the United Nations health agency has concluded.