Coronavirus Outbreak

Number Of COVID-19 Vaccines Growing But Volume Of Doses Remains Concern: World Health Organisation Adviser

In a media briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his belief that more countries will begin their mass coronavirus disease vaccination programs in the near future

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Highlights
  • WHO is encouraged with number of COVID19 vaccines performing well in trials
  • WHO is concerned over the actual number of available COVID-19 vaccine doses
  • WHO adviser called COVID-19 vaccines ‘very, very scarce products’

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) is encouraged by the growth in the number of vaccines against COVID-19 that have performed well in clinical trials, although the organization remains concerned by the limited number of doses currently available, Bruce Aylward, a senior WHO adviser, said on Friday (December 11). A handful of candidate vaccines against COVID-19 have reported efficacy levels of greater than 90 per cent in clinical trials, and Bruce Aylward noted that multiple vaccine platforms have shown strong results.

Also Read: There Has Been Absolutely No Compromise In Clinical Testing Of COVID-19 Vaccines: Gangandeep Kang, Clinical Scientist

If you look week by week at the number of companies that are announcing positive results in terms of the efficacy of vaccines, that number is increasing and what’s important is it’s increasing not just in terms of the number of products, but also the different technology platforms that they are being built on. As we’ve seen now, there are three different sorts of technology platforms, as we call them, that have reported very positive efficacy and safety data, the WHO senior adviser told a media briefing.

Also Read: Explainer: Allergic Reactions To Vaccines Rare, Short-Lived

Over the past week, US media outlets reported that Pfizer is unlikely to meet its original supply targets for its vaccine against COVID-19, which is produced in conjunction with German firm BioNTech, due to supply chain issues.

GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi also announced earlier on Friday that their candidate vaccine will likely not be available until the end of 2021 due to disappointing trial results, and Bruce Aylward noted the WHO’s concern over the actual number of available vaccine doses.

Also Read: India’s COVID-19 Vaccines Will Benefit Most Countries, Says Bhutan Ambassador Vetsop Namgyel

But at the same time … there are real challenges with volumes. These are still very, very scarce products. And just as some companies are announcing successes, there are others – and we’ve had two over the last few days – that have said they have had challenges with their products either in terms of the volumes they can produce or in terms of some of the trial results, the WHO senior adviser said.

At the same media briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his belief that more countries will begin their mass coronavirus disease vaccination programs in the near future.

Also Read: WHO Chief Urges Global Leaders To Invest In COVID-19 Vaccines

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene

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