'Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic' - WHO's Tedros

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for countries around the world to join forces to tackle the coronavirus on Friday, saying that "vaccine nationalism" would only slow the response to the pandemic. "Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic," Tedros told reporters at a WHO briefing in Geneva, without mentioning any specific countries.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for countries around the world to join forces to tackle the coronavirus on Friday, saying that "vaccine nationalism" would only slow the response to the pandemic. The WHO and GAVI vaccine alliance are leading a global vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX aimed at helping buy and distribute vaccination shots fairly.

But some countries that have secured their own supplies through bilateral deals, including the United States, have said they will not join COVAX. "Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic," Tedros told reporters at a WHO briefing in Geneva, without mentioning any specific countries.