WHO / COVID-19 UPDATE

STORY: WHO / COVID-19 UPDATE
TRT: 4:25
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 OCTOBER 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, WHO emblem outside headquarters

21 OCTOBER 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"The pandemic is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on health workers, and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected. A new WHO working paper estimates that 115,000 health workers may have died from COVID-19 between January 2020 and May this year. That’s why it’s essential that health workers are prioritised for vaccination. Data from 119 countries suggest that on average, 2 in 5 health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings. In Africa, less than 1 in 10 health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 per cent of health workers are fully vaccinated."
4. Wide shot, press room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"More than 10 months since the first vaccines were approved, the fact that millions of health workers still haven’t been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines. High- and upper-middle income countries have now administered almost half as many booster shots as the total number of vaccines administered in low-income countries. In 10 days’ time, 20 people will meet in Rome with the ability to change that – the leaders of the G20 countries. Between now and then, roughly 500 million vaccine doses will be produced. That’s the amount of additional doses we need to achieve our target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population of every country by the end of the year. 82 countries are at risk of missing that target."
6. Wide shot, press room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization (WHO):
"The difference between having intense transmission with some cases of hospitalisation and death, and having large-scale hospitalisation and death associated with pressure on the health system, really comes down to vaccination and getting vaccines into people and having people increase their demand for those vaccines. That doesn't mean that we don't have to be careful. This is still a very dangerous virus and we can protect ourselves. If you are a person who has high vulnerability, then even if you are doubly vaccinated or vaccinated with the appropriate number of doses in your primary course, you should still be careful; you should still take care."
8. Wide shot, press room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Mariângela Simão, Assistant Director-General, Access to Medicines and Health Products, World Health Organization (WHO):
"First of all, let me say that the WHO has a global advisory group on vaccine safety (SAGE) that meets regularly and it is currently accessing the decision in Sweden and Denmark to stop vaccinating with the Moderna vaccine (in ages 12-30 years old) and comparing the very rare -- actually let me again reemphasise, the very rare side effect, adverse event of myocarditis in younger people, especially 18-24 years of age and who have taken either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine. So, this is again - these vaccines... first of all, the myocarditis that has been observed is very benign. Some people do have to be hospitalised, but we don't have any deaths associated with it and the assessment we have so far from the different regulatory agencies and also the international assessment of WHO, that the benefits of having the vaccine still outweigh the risks. So, we shall be seeing a statement of the global advisory group on vaccine safety in the next few days. Thank you. "
10. Med shot, WHO emblem on wall in press room

STORYLINE:

WHO chief Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the pandemic “is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on health workers, and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected,” after a paper issued by the Organization estimated that some “115,000 health workers may have died from COVID-19 between January 2020 and May this year.”

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva today (21 Oct), Dr Tedros stressed the need to prioritise health workers for vaccination. He said data from 119 countries suggest that on average, 2 in 5 health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. “But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings. In Africa, less than 1 in 10 health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 per cent of health workers are fully vaccinated."

The WHO Director-General said more than 10 months since the first vaccines were approved, “the fact that millions of health workers still haven’t been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines.” He said, “High- and upper-middle income countries have now administered almost half as many booster shots as the total number of vaccines administered in low-income countries. In 10 days’ time, 20 people will meet in Rome with the ability to change that – the leaders of the G20 countries. Between now and then, roughly 500 million vaccine doses will be produced. That’s the amount of additional doses we need to achieve our target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population of every country by the end of the year. 82 countries are at risk of missing that target."

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said the difference between having intense transmission with some cases of hospitalisation and death, and having large-scale hospitalisation and death associated with pressure on the health system, “really comes down to vaccination and getting vaccines into people and having people increase their demand for those vaccines.” He said, “That doesn't mean that we don't have to be careful. This is still a very dangerous virus and we can protect ourselves. If you are a person who has high vulnerability, then even if you are doubly vaccinated or vaccinated with the appropriate number of doses in your primary course, you should still be careful; you should still take care."

Responding to a question about the decision by Sweden and Denmark to stop vaccinating younger people with the Moderna vaccine, Dr Mariângela Simão said WHO’s global advisory group on vaccine safety (SAGE) was “currently accessing the decision.” He emphasised that the adverse event of myocarditis in younger people is “very rare,” especially in the age group between 18 and 24 years old, who have taken either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine. She added, “The myocarditis that has been observed is very benign. Some people do have to be hospitalised, but we don't have any deaths associated with it and the assessment we have so far from the different regulatory agencies and also the international assessment of WHO, that the benefits of having the vaccine still outweigh the risks.” He expected the global advisory group on vaccine safety to issue a statement in the next few days.