Cape Town:
The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year if about 70 percent of the world is vaccinated.
“Our expectation is that the acute phase of this pandemic will end this year, with one condition, of course, the 70 percent vaccination (target achieved) in mid-July this year,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in South Africa. †
“If it has to, the acute phase can really end, and that’s what we expect. It’s in our hands. It’s not a matter of chance. It’s a matter of choice.”
He spoke during a visit to Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, which has produced the first mRNA Covid vaccine made in Africa using Moderna’s sequence.
“We expect this vaccine to be more suitable for the context in which it will be used, with fewer storage restrictions and at a lower price,” said the WHO chief.
The vaccine will be ready for clinical trials in November and approval is expected in 2024.
Afrigen is leading the pilot project, supported by WHO and the COVAX initiative.
Only 11 percent of Africans are vaccinated, the lowest percentage in the world. Last week, the WHO’s Africa office said the continent must increase its vaccination rate “six times” to reach the 70 percent target.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)