February 22nd local time, WHO Director-General Tedros Tedros and German President Steinmeier held a joint press conference.
Tedros pointed out at a press conference that some high-income countries seeking to get more coronavirus vaccines may lead to unequal distribution of vaccines around the world, and urged countries to share vaccines more equitably.
He pointed out that it is in the interest of all countries, including high-income countries, to vaccinate against the novel coronavirus around the world.
WHO Director-General Tedros Tedros said that some high-income countries are contacting vaccine manufacturers to obtain more vaccines, which has affected their agreements with the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan, resulting in a reduction in the number of vaccines allocated to the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan.
Tedros pointed out that if high-income countries are willing to cooperate and respect the agreement of the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan, they should determine whether their request will undermine the plan when they seek additional vaccines from vaccine manufacturers, but these high-income countries have not done so.
Tedros said it is in a global interest to get the coronavirus vaccine in all countries and can help people fight the virus around the world.
If vaccination is omitted or delayed in some places, it will become a hotbed of mutant viruses, and the vaccine may fail, causing the anti-epidemic work to return to its original place.
Therefore, it is in the interest of all countries, including high-income countries, to vaccinate against COVID-19 and take public health measures around the world. If only people in one’s own country are vaccinated, it will affect not only those who are not vaccinated in developing countries, but also in high-income countries.
Tedros pointed out that there are political factors in vaccination.
Some countries also want to tell voters that the best way to protect themselves is not to vaccinate themselves against the coronavirus, but also to vaccinate people in other parts of the world.
Tedros also stressed that although the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan has financial support, if you can’t buy a vaccine, it won’t help, and high-income countries should understand this.
