Vaccine does not mean zero new coronavirus cases, WHO warns, as WHO chief calls for continued vigilance.
At a press conference in Geneva on Friday, the World Health Organization warned that the arrival of several effective new coronavirus vaccines and the optimism that comes with them must not lead us to lower our guard, because vaccines do not eliminate new coronaviruses, AFP reported.
Mike Ryan, who is in charge of emergencies at the WHO, said, “A vaccine does not mean that there will be zero new coronavirus cases.” He said that a vaccine alone will not eliminate the new coronavirus. Mike Ryan added, “We have reached an inflection point in the neo-crown epidemic, and people have to continue to make efforts.”
For her part, American Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s head of outbreak management, urged people to think hard about what they do during the end-of-year holiday season to reduce the spread of neo-coronaviruses.
Maria Van Kerkhove says that for us, for our families, the decisions we make now (…) could mean life or death.
AFP notes that the neo-crown epidemic, which has already infected more than 65 million people and killed more than 1.5 million, is now beginning to accelerate its global spread just as mass vaccination programs are taking shape in many countries.
WHO Director-General Tan Desai said, “The progress made in the field of vaccines has lifted the spirits of all of us, and now we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” But Tan Desai also warned against “a growing sense that the epidemic is over.
Several WHO officials also warned at the press conference that vaccines could create a false sense of security. Tandesse said, “People need to continue to comply with public health measures while vaccines are being rolled out.”
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