On Wednesday, World Health Organization Direct-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for a moratorium on administering booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. The appeal was generally made to the wealthier countries that have far outpaced the developing world in vaccinating its citizens.
WHO wants to help and ensure that the doses are available in the countries where fewer people have received their first shots. According to the AsiaOne survey, richer countries have administered 100 doses for every 100 people on an average for coronavirus vaccines. Meanwhile, the poorer countries are hampered by the short supplies and could administer only 1.5 doses per 100 people. WHO has urged wealthier countries for cooperation and argued that no one is safe until everyone is safe. It even warned about the longer and more widely the coronavirus circulates, the risk for new variants could emerge and cause a global crisis for a prolonged time.
Researchers are yet to confirm the efficiency of giving booster shots to people who have already received their two doses of vaccines. It is unproven that boosters will prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Tedros called for a moratorium on booters until the end of September to enable at least 10% of the population to be vaccinated in every nation.
