WHO urges Southeast Asia to scale up Covid vaccination; praises India’s vax drive

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As Covid-19 circumstances are seeing a spike in India and different Southeast Asian international locations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday known as on them to speed up Covid-19 vaccination protection.

The world well being physique additionally acknowledged India’s spectacular efforts and its help to different international locations in offering Covid vaccines when there was a constraint globally.

WHO stated India would quickly mark 2 billion doses, accounting for practically two-thirds of all vaccine doses administered within the area.

It stated that whereas vital progress has been made within the area in direction of vaccinating populations in opposition to Covid-19, a number of international locations missed the worldwide goal to totally vaccinate 70 p.c of their complete inhabitants with all main vaccine doses by June finish, liable for varied areas witnessing a surge in circumstances.

“We know that the current Covid-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death for all variants. We must focus on rapidly achieving high vaccination coverage, prioritising health workers, older adults, those with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women,” stated Regional Director, WHO (South-East Asia), Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh. 

The pandemic is just not over but; we should scale up our efforts to guard communities, she stated.

She congratulated international locations which have achieved the goal of 70 per cent of their inhabitants finishing the first collection of Covid-19 vaccination.

Bhutan has 89 per cent of the inhabitants vaccinated with all main doses, Thailand 79.9 per cent, Maldives 70.4 per cent, and Bangladesh 70.2 per cent. Nepal’s 69.3 per cent is near attaining the worldwide vaccination purpose by June finish. 

“India, which will soon mark 2 billion COVID-19 doses, accounts for nearly two-thirds of all Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the Region,” Dr Khetrapal Singh stated, including that, “We must acknowledge India’s impressive efforts and its support to other countries in providing Covid-19 vaccines when vaccine supplies were a constraint globally.”

The regional director stated many deaths from Covid-19 might be averted if vaccinations particularly goal teams reminiscent of healthcare and different frontline employees, the aged and people with comorbidities.

The WHO Southeast Asia Region has 64.1 p.c inhabitants who’ve accomplished their Covid-19 main vaccination collection and 71.7 p.c inhabitants who’ve taken no less than one dose of the vaccine whereas being dwelling to 1 / 4 of the world’s inhabitants with over 2 billion individuals.