People walking past a mural depicting medical workers hitting the coronavirus with a vaccine needle in Santacruz, Mumbai, India on March 29, 2021.
Pratik Chorge | Hindustan times | Getty Images
Covid-19 is still spreading around the world and a “vaccine only” strategy will not end the pandemic, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Thursday.
The World Health Organization issued the same warning last year when the world was stuck in the Covid pandemic for just a few months.
Globally, the number of daily reported Covid cases and deaths rose again in the past month, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed. In fact, more and more people are receiving vaccinations and, in some countries, booster vaccinations.
“What I would say to the countries … [that] Successful with the introduction of vaccines is: It won’t do it alone, “said Clark at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s virtual CEO summit.
“You need to be able to calibrate, reintroduce or maintain public health measures that are relevant to the epidemiological state of the pandemic and your country at this point in time,” she added.
In a separate meeting at the APEC CEO Summit, Chancellor Angela Merkel said one of the biggest challenges in managing the Covid outbreak is being proactive in responding to spikes in cases.
Unfortunately, Germany is now in the middle of the fourth wave. We are seeing a large increase in numbers. People may think it’s a thing of the past, but we need to realize that it’s not over yet.
Angela Merkel
Chancellor
“As soon as the cases increase dramatically, you have to intervene immediately,” said Merkel, who is preparing for her office after 16 years a year Germany’s top job.
She warned that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet, as Germany is experiencing a resurgence in some cases.
“Unfortunately, Germany is in the middle of the fourth wave. We are seeing a high increase in numbers. People may believe that it is a thing of the past, but we have to recognize that it is not over yet,” said Merkel on Friday.
Keep Delta away
In addition to Germany, the daily reported cases have also increased in Singapore, although vaccine rollout has been accelerated.
The Southeast Asian city-state has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, according to the Ministry of Health, with around 85% of its population being fully vaccinated. However, the country has had to adjust social distancing measures several times as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads.
“Very Unjust” Vaccine Rollout
The “very unjust” introduction of Covid vaccines is partly responsible for the prolongation of the pandemic, said Clark.
“We’re not going to be really safe in New Zealand or Canada or China or wherever unless everyone in the world has access to vaccines and therapeutics and so on,” she said.
The WHO and other health experts, including famous epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, have previously made similar comments.
Clark co-chaired an independent panel set up by WHO to review global pandemic preparedness and response.
In its final report released in May, the panel recommended that high-income countries redistribute at least one billion doses of Covid vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries by September 1, and an additional billion doses by mid-2022.
Analytics firm Airfinity said in an Oct. 20 report that only 350 million cans have been shipped.
