UN says millions still waiting for vaccines after 2 years of pandemic

United Nations, March 9 (EFE).- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said Wednesday that almost 3 billion people are still waiting to be vaccinated against Covid-19 two years after the start of the pandemic.

“Vaccine distribution remains shockingly uneven. Manufacturers are churning out 1.5 billion doses a month, yet nearly 3 billion people are waiting for their first shot,” Guterres said in a statement. “This failure is the direct result of political and budgetary decisions that prioritize the health of people in rich countries over the health of people in poor countries.”

According to the UN chief, it is also “a recipe for more variants, more confinements and more pain and sacrifices in all countries.”

Guterres said “it would be a big mistake to think that the pandemic is over,” talking about the importance of meeting the goal of having 70 percent of the population of all countries vaccinated by the middle of this year.

He said he urged governments and pharmaceutical companies to work together to multiply the number of countries that can produce tests, vaccines and treatments, share licenses and intellectual property and provide technological and financial support.

He spoke about having good national systems for administering vaccines and combating misinformation to ensure that as many people as possible are immunized.

“Science and solidarity have proven to be an unbeatable combination. We must rededicate ourselves to ending this pandemic for all people and all countries and closing this sad chapter in human history once and for all,” Guterres said.

The global Covid-19 pandemic, which began more than two years ago, has left more than 446 million cases and more than 6 million confirmed deaths, according to official figures. EFE

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