The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday issued a grim warning that the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic was on track to be far more deadly, as rich countries have been urged to donate vaccines rather than vaccinate children.
The warning is coming as Japan extended a state of emergency amid growing calls for the Olympics to be scrapped.
This disclosure was made by the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a press conference on Friday, May 14, 2021.
Tedros in his statement at the press conference said, “We’re on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first. I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to Covax.
Saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination – not one or the other – is the only way out.”
He warned that in the face of this inequity in access, the world would likely see more deaths this year than last, despite the arrival of vaccines.
The situation in Japan is taking a turn for the worse with the coronavirus state of emergency taking in another 3 regions just 10 weeks before the Olympics, while campaigners submitted a petition with more than 350,000 signatures calling for the Olympic games to be cancelled.
Meanwhile, the WHO has urged wealthy countries to stop vaccinating children and instead donate doses to poorer nations.