The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned people not to get complacent about the spread of COVID-19 now the first vaccine doses have been rolled out.
“The progress in vaccines gives us all a boost and we can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday.
“However, WHO is concerned that there is a growing perception that the pandemic is over. The truth is that at present, many places are witnessing very high transmission of the virus, which is putting enormous pressure on hospitals, intensive care units and health workers.
“Some countries in Europe have managed to reduce transmission of the virus by putting stringent measures in place that limit people from mingling. As previously seen, as these measures are lifted, it’s important that people should continue to follow national and local measures to ensure that cases do not rebound.”
The WHO chief also welcomed the announcement made by President-elect Joe Biden and former US presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton who said they were willing to be vaccinated publicly to encourage their fellow citizens to do the same.
“Vaccines do not mean zero COVID”, said Mike Ryan, who is in charge of emergency situations at the UN agency.
