WHO chief says COVID-19 vaccine disparity must stop: VOA

BEIJING - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the "scandal" of global COVID-19 vaccine disparity must stop, according to a recent report by Voice of America (VOA).

The WHO chief noted in a press briefing on Friday that six times more COVID-19 boosters are administered a day than primary doses in low-income countries, VOA said in the report.

Tedros also said that countries with the highest vaccine coverage "continue to stockpile more vaccines," while "low-income countries continue to wait" for the shots, according to the US international broadcaster.

"This is a scandal that must stop now," Tedros said.

COVAX, the vaccine-sharing scheme, could help alleviate the vaccine disparity, but it needs at least 550 million shots to achieve its goal of vaccinating 40 percent of every country's population by the end of the year, Tedros said.