'Shocking Imbalance': WHO Chief Raises Worry Over Vaccine Distribution, Criticises Divide

WHO is leading the Covax scheme which is aimed at getting the vaccines to poorer nations. So far, more than 38 million doses have been delivered to around 100 countries under the scheme. Although, the scheme had been expected to distribute at least 100 million doses worldwide by the end of March.

New Delhi: World Health Organization criticized the vaccine divide among the poor and rich countries calling it a "shocking imbalance". On Friday, BBC report Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying "There remains a shocking imbalance in the global distribution of vaccines".

The WHO has long called for fairer distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

According to the report, the group's chief said a target of seeing vaccination programmes under way in every country by Saturday would be missed.

WHO is leading the Covax scheme which is aimed at getting the vaccines to poorer nations. So far, more than 38 million doses have been delivered to around 100 countries under the scheme. Although, the scheme had been expected to distribute at least 100 million doses worldwide by the end of March.

"We hope to be able to catch up during April and May," Tedros said.

Covax hopes to deliver more than two billion doses to people in 190 countries in less than a year. In particular, it wants to ensure that 92 poorer countries will receive access to vaccines at the same time as wealthier countries.

Critizing countries that made their own vaccine deals outside of the Covax scheme Tedros said, "some countries and companies plan to do their own bilateral vaccine donations, bypassing Covax for their own political or commercial reasons". "These bilateral arrangements run the risk of fanning the flames of vaccine inequity," he added. "Scarcity of supply is driving vaccine nationalism."

The WHO said, "on average in high-income countries, almost one in four people have received a Covid-19 vaccine. In low-income countries, it's one in more than 500".

The WHO Chief earlier this year warned that the world was facing a "catastrophic moral failure" over vaccine inequality. He said a "me-first" approach would be self-defeating because it would encourage hoarding and prolong the pandemic.

According to the latest update, total vaccination done in India so far is 10,15,95,147. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's called for a 'Tika Utsav' or vaccine festival which begins in the country from today with an aim to inoculate the maximum number of eligible people against the coronavirus. The campaign will be carried out till April 14 although reports of vaccine shortage may pose a significant challenge.