The World Health Organization called for a halt to the third vaccination.

The WHO director says wealthy countries should skip the third round of the coronavirus vaccine and think about poor countries where many people have not even received the first dose. Adhanom has suggested that the booster shot be suspended for at least two months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reminded that universal immunization is a top priority, citing the fact that millions of people around the world are being denied the coronavirus vaccine. It is addressing countries that have started the third round of the vaccine, known as the “booster dose.” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the process should be suspended until at least 10% of the world’s population has been vaccinated. He has set a two-month deadline for suspending the process, until the end of September.

This is the WHO's strongest call to the international community to address inequalities during the pandemic. The organization's requests are not binding on members.

"Rich countries have vaccinated all their citizens, while the average vaccination rate in poor countries is 1.5 percent," Adhanom said. "We need a fundamental shift in vaccine distribution. Vaccines need to go to low-income countries, not high-income countries."

Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that in Africa, people with pre-existing conditions, the elderly or those working in high-risk health facilities have not even received the first dose of the vaccine. He told a press conference that he understood governments' concerns about the spread of the Delta strain and their responsibility for the lives of their citizens: "But it is unacceptable that they are using up the most vaccine stocks and are using up the third dose of the available vaccines again," he said.

Catherine O'Brien, director of the WHO's vaccine department, has previously said that it is not at all clear whether a booster dose is actually necessary.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet confirmed the need for a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The pharmaceutical company BioNTech-Pfizer has announced that a third dose of the vaccine can boost immunity. This dose, called a booster shot, is recommended for injection six months after the second dose. Initial studies suggested that the Delta mutant virus was resistant to vaccines. Now, however, it is announced that full vaccination is a protective shield against this mutation.

Israel is the first country in the world to publicly begin administering the third dose.

Source: DW