The World Health Organization does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said.
None of the candidate vaccines in advanced clinical trials so far has demonstrated a “clear signal” of efficacy at the level of at least 50 per cent sought by the WHO.
“A lot of people have been vaccinated and what we don’t know is whether the vaccine works…at this stage, we do not have the clear signal of whether or not it has the level of worthwhile efficacy and safety…,” the spokeswoman added.
The WHO and GAVI vaccine alliance are leading a global vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX that aims to help buy and distribute shots fairly. The focus is on first vaccinating the most high-risk people in every country such as healthcare workers.
