Germany, France Ignore WHO's Appeal On Booster COVID Vax Doses To Prioritise Own Citizens Amid Delta Scare

The WHO had urged everyone with influence, including Olympic athletes, faith leaders, and more, to support its call for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September.

New Delhi: Germany and France have decided to administer COVID-19 vaccine boosters to their citizens from September, even after the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged nations to not begin giving booster shots until more people across the globe are inoculated.

WHO's appeal came as the issue of vaccine disparity across the world has been highlighted very often but for now, affluent countries appear to prioritise their own citizens as the more infectious Delta variant has led to increased infections in countries like UK and Australia recently.

French President Emmanuel Macron informed that France is planning to roll out third COVID-19 vaccine doses for the elderly and vulnerable from September.

"A third dose will likely be necessary, not for everyone straight away, but in any case for the most vulnerable and the most elderly," Macron wrote on his Instagram account.

Similarly, Germany also wants to provide "boosters" to those most vulnerable such as immunocompromised patients, very elderly, and nursing home residents from September, the country's health ministry informed as reported by Reuters.

Earlier, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called nations to halt plans for vaccine boosters until at least the end of September, contending that it was unacceptable for rich countries to use more of the global vaccine supply.

According to WHO, high-income countries have administered around 50 doses for every 100 people in May and that number has since doubled. On the other hand, low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 doses for every 100 people because of low supplies.

The WHO had urged everyone with influence, including Olympic athletes, business leaders, faith leaders, and more, to support its call for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September.

"I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the Delta variant. We cannot accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines using even more of it, the world's most vulnerable people remain unprotected,” he said at a press conference in Geneva.

Germany has rejected the allegation while committing to donate at least 30 million vaccine doses to poorer countries.

"We want to provide the vulnerable groups in Germany with a precautionary third vaccination and at the same time support the vaccination of as many people in the world as possible," the ministry stated.

France and Germany have so far administered at least one dose of a COVID vaccine to 64.5 percent and 62 percent of their respective populations, with 49 percent of the French and 53 percent of Germans are fully-vaccinated, Reuters reported.