WHO calls for caution in the Christmas holidays and urges vaccination against coronavirus

The regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge, on Thursday asked Europeans to maintain precautionary measures against the coronavirus at Christmas parties and urged vaccination.

The WHO recalls in a statement that this Christmas Europe will face two highly communicable variants (the majority delta and the emerging omicron), with the potential to further increase the pressure on “our already overloaded” health systems.

Kluge acknowledges the concern of Europeans, since Europe was “the epicenter of the pandemic even before the omicron emergency”, but insists that this year does not have to be a repetition of the past, when many decided to cancel the parties and many families were unable to reunite.

The WHO urges Europeans to use all the tools at their disposal to maintain precaution on these dates, especially the vaccine.

“Get vaccinated as soon as possible with the full dose,” Kluge insists. “Vaccines remain the best way to prevent serious illness and death, even with the advent of the omicron variant.”

In addition, it also encourages those who are entitled to it in their countries to receive a booster dose.

The director of the WHO in Europe recommends reducing social gatherings to small groups and, if possible, taking an antigen test or a PCR beforehand to make sure that you are not infected.

The WHO also advises taking other precautions, even if the complete vaccination schedule has been received, such as avoiding crowded places, wearing a mask, maintaining a physical distance of at least one meter, ventilating closed spaces and washing hands frequently.

The health authority insists on the importance of turning to reliable sources that give advice based on evidence and scientific consensus to inform themselves about the progress of the pandemic.

“We have come a long way since last year,” said Kluge. “We know what works. We know how to keep ourselves and those around us safe. The omicron emergency does not change that ”.

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