Thread by @kakape

“Today, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire started vaccinating health workers against #COVID19, becoming the first countries to start vaccination campaigns with doses supplied through COVAX”, says @DrTedros at @WHO presser. “A further 11 million doses will be delivered this week"

@DrTedros @WHO Good news, says @DrTedros. “But it's regrettable that this comes almost three months after some of the wealthiest countries started their vaccination campaigns” and that younger, healthier adults are being vaccinated haead of health workers and older people in other countries.

@DrTedros @WHO Number of #covid19 cases globally has increased for first time in seven weeks. “This is disappointing, but not surprising”, says @drtedros. "Some of it appears to be due to relaxing of public health measures continued circulation of variants and people letting down their guard."

@DrTedros @WHO “This is the largest vaccination campaign, the world has ever seen” says @doctorsoumya. “We should not minimize the preparations that countries need to make, the fact that adult vaccine programs do not exist in most countries…"

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya “Health systems really need to gear up and do many things to prepare themselves”, says @doctorsoumya mentioning "training people, making sure the cold chain is there, making sure that the regulatory approvals are in place” and signing agreements on indemnification and liability.

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya “If the last week tells us anything, it's that this virus will rebound”, says @mvankerkhove. “This virus will rebound if we let it, and we cannot let it. .... We cannot allow it to take off again."

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya @mvankerkhove “We can reduce hospitalizations, deaths and severe illness, but we can only do that if people around the world get the vaccine”, says @doctorsoumya. “Our goal really should be to protect people's lives and do it as quickly as possible by sharing the vaccines that we have today."

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya @mvankerkhove WHO is “looking at blockchain and other technologies for the provision of private keys and other mechanisms by which governments can, at some point, verify vaccination status of individuals as they potentially move around the world”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan But he notes the "important, ethical and human rights considerations” when discussing any vaccine passports. “If you don't have access to a vaccine, then should that affect your rights as an individual?"

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan Update on #Ebola in Guinea from @DrMikeRyan:
17 cases (13 confirmed, 4 probable)
Most recent cases are in Nzérékoré/Guéckedou region. “The disease remains in that sense contained in these areas, although surveillance is being ramped up in other areas and in surrounding countries"

@DrTedros @WHO @doctorsoumya @mvankerkhove @DrMikeRyan “The key issue right now is getting those contacts and contacts of contacts vaccinated”, says @DrMikeRyan. 20.000 doses of the vaccine are in the country. “We have over 1100 contacts and contacts of contacts vaccinated."