Thread by @kakape

"We have entered a new phase of the pandemic where solidarity is needed like never before”, says @DrTedros at @WHO presser on #covid19.
"We are in a race to save lives right now."

@DrTedros @WHO “Case loads are so high in several countries that hospitals and intensive care units are filling up to dangerous levels”, says @drtedros. People mixed more indoors during holidays, he says. “New variants which appear to be more transmissible are exacerbating the situation."

@DrTedros @WHO "We are in a race to prevent infections, bring cases down, protect health systems and save lives, while rolling out highly effective and safe vaccines to high risk populations”, says @DrTedros. "his is not easy. These are the hard miles, we must tread together."

@DrTedros @WHO “If we act together, we can win both races and get ahead of the virus while also limiting the opportunity for the virus to mutate further and threaten the health tools we currently have”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO “We owe it morally to health workers everywhere, who have been fighting this pandemic around the clock for the best part of a year, to vaccinate them all as soon as possible”, says @drtedros. "People must come first over short-term profits."

@DrTedros @WHO “Over the past 24 hours, members of the international scientific team on #COVID19 virus origins began traveling from their home countries to China”, says @drtedros. "Today, we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalized the necessary permissions for the team's arrival"

@DrTedros @WHO "I'm very disappointed with this news, given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute”, says @drtedros. "I have once again made it clear that the mission is a priority for @WHO, and the international team."

@DrTedros @WHO “I have been assured that China is speeding up the internal procedures for the earliest possible deployment”, says @drtedros. "We are eager to get the mission underway as soon as possible.”
(What a slap in the face to @WHO after months of negotiating this.)

@DrTedros @WHO Alejandro Cravioto, who chairs Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) gives an overview of what the group has recommended on Pfizer #covid19 vaccine: “SAGE recommends the administration of two doses of this vaccine within 21 to 28 days."

@DrTedros @WHO There is little data on safety and efficacy after one dose beyond the 3-4 weeks, says Cravioto. But SAGE still made a provision for countries in exceptional circumstances "to delay the administration of the second dose for a few weeks”.

@DrTedros @WHO On anaphylactic reactions: "SAGE recommended that the vaccine should be administered only in settings where anaphylaxis can be treated”, says Cravioto.

@DrTedros @WHO "In light of the data limitations, SAGE was not able to provide a recommendation for the use of the vaccine in pregnancy until more safety data are available”, says Cravioto, though exceptions for instance for pregnant health workers at high risk of exposure.

@DrTedros @WHO “SAGE recommends that COVID vaccination be offered regardless of a person's history of asymptomatic or symptomatic SARS infection”, says Cravioto.

@DrTedros @WHO Since symptomatic reinfection within 6 month is rare, recently infected people may delay vaccination for a while. "This would encourage the use of the vaccines for other people who have not been exposed to the virus and thus have a much larger portion of the population protected"

@DrTedros @WHO "It's really important the national governments who are issuing vaccines and distributing vaccines to sub-national level are also aware of the investments that are needed to shore up the capacity of the system to deliver those vaccines at the local level”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan "You can't file and forget, you can't dispatch and forget. You have to drive and follow each vaccine right into the arm of the person who has to get it”, says @DrMikeRyan. “Quite frankly, many countries may have been overconfident in their ability to do this."

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan "We hope that this is just a logistic and bureaucratic issue that can be resolved very quickly”, says @DrMikeRyan on China snafu. "This is frustrating and as the Director General has said this is disappointing.”

@DrTedros @WHO @DrMikeRyan (Missed part of the presser for an interview. Will check and add anything important I missed to this thread latter.)