COVID digest: WHO slams vaccine inequality
March 23, 2021
The head of the World Health Organization blasted growing vaccine inequality on Monday.
The gap in the number of vaccinations administered in rich and poor countries was "growing every single day, and becoming more grotesque every day," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
"Some countries are racing to vaccinate their entire populations, while other countries have nothing," Tedros said.
The head of the UN health body added that this approach was giving rich countries a false sense of security.
Tedros has frequently warned that if the virus spreads unhindered in some parts of the world, mutations and variants can pose a threat everywhere.
Many rich countries have pledged to support the COVAX global vaccine-sharing initiative to give poorer countries access to vaccines, but few so far have shared their stocks.
While many low-income countries have not yet received a single vaccine dose, some wealthier countries have ordered enough doses to inoculate their populations twice.
Here is an overview of the latest coronavirus news from around the world.
Americas
Uruguay has confirmed that it has detected the presence of two coronavirus variants that originated in neighboring Brazil.
Early studies suggest they can overcome some antibodies, increase a person's chances of reinfection and decrease the efficacy of vaccines, meaning the variants are tougher to tackle.
Brazil's Health Ministry has recorded over 49,000 new cases of coronavirus and 1,383 new COVID-19 deaths.
The country has the world's highest daily caseload at present as it battles the two virus mutations.
Europe
Germany is extending its lockdown until April 18, the country's 16 state leaders and Chancellor Angela Merkel have announced after over 12 hours of meetings.
According to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases (RKI), the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 7,485 to 2,674,710. The reported death toll rose by 250 to 74,964, the tally showed.
The seven-day incidence rate was at 108 on Tuesday, above the 100 threshold at which hospitals can become overwhelmed.
France must vaccinate people against coronavirus "morning, noon and evening", President Emmanuel Macron said, while visiting an inoculation center in Valencienne in northern France.
"We're going to change pace from April," he said, adding there should be "no weekend and days off when it comes to vaccinations."
"Vaccination is a national priority," Macron told reporters.
Spain's health minister says the country will resume the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday and extend its use to adults under 65 years.
Like several other European countries, Spain stopped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine last week, amid unfounded concerns over possible links to blood clots.
Asia
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has received AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine from a community clinic near his office in Seoul.
He got the shot ahead of an overseas trip to the United Kingdom for a G7 summit in June.
South Korea has started inoculating more senior citizens and health workers in an effort to accelerate its vaccination drive.
kmm/rt (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)