The World Health Organisation has disclosed that about 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

This disclosure was made by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus at a regular press briefing on COVID-19, in Geneva.

“Around 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose. COVAX published its forecast for the distribution of vaccines to participating countries. Countries are ready to go, but the vaccines aren’t there. We need countries to share doses, once they have finished vaccinating health workers and older people.

“We also need a massive scale-up in production. Manufacturers can do more: having received substantial public funding, we encourage all manufacturers to share their data and technology to ensure global equitable access to vaccines.’’

“All governments have an obligation to protect their own people.

“But once countries with vaccines have vaccinated their own health workers and older people, the best way to protect the rest of their own population is to share vaccines so other countries can do the same.

“That’s because the longer it takes to vaccinate those most at risk everywhere, the more opportunity we give the virus to mutate and evade vaccines.”

However, three-quarters of all COVID-19 vaccinations are only in 10 countries, representing almost 60 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).