If those vaccine doses that are now administered as “boosters” had gone to health workers and risk groups in poorer countries, according to calculations by the WHO, 40 percent of all people worldwide could have been vaccinated as early as September.
And, according to the World Health Organization, that would be enough to end the acute phase of the pandemic. But because of the refreshments, most countries are now missing out on this target, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Nationwide refresher programs are likely to prolong the pandemic rather than end it,” he said. The vaccine doses would be missing in poorer countries. This gives the virus the opportunity to spread in underserved areas and form new variants there.
