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<\/p>\nA senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was \u201cpremature\u201d and \u201cunrealistic\u201d to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s singular focus right now should be to keep transmission of Covid-19 as low as possible, said Dr. Michael Ryan, director of WHO’s emergencies program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re smart, we can finish with the hospitalizations and the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic\u201d by the end of the year, he said at media briefing.<\/p>\n
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Ryan said WHO was reassured by emerging data that many of the\u00a0licensed vaccines\u00a0appear to be helping curb the virus’ explosive spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the vaccines begin to impact not only on death and not only on hospitalization, but have a significant impact on transmission dynamics and transmission risk, then I believe we will accelerate toward controlling this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Ryan warned against complacency, saying that nothing was guaranteed in an evolving epidemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now the virus is very much in control,” he said.<\/p>\n
WHO’s director-general, meanwhile, said it was \u201cregrettable\u201d that younger and healthier adults in some rich countries are being vaccinated against the coronavirus before at-risk health workers in developing countries.<\/p>\n
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said immunizations provided by the\u00a0U.N.-backed effort COVAX\u00a0began this week in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, but lamented that this was happening only three months after countries such as Britain, the U.S. and Canada began vaccinating their own populations.<\/p>\n
\u201cCountries are not in a race with each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a common race against the virus. We are not asking countries to put their own people at risk. We are asking all countries to be part of a global effort to suppress the virus everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMedia briefing on #COVID19<\/a> with @DrTedros<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/b7twPwxt4d<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 1, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n