Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

@DrTedros "Almost 2 million cases of #COVID19 were reported in Europe last week, the most in a single week in that region since the pandemic started.

Almost 27,000 deaths were reported from Europe, more than half of all COVID-19 deaths globally last week"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "#COVID19 is surging in countries with lower vaccination rates in Eastern Europe, but also in countries with some of the world’s highest vaccination rates in Western Europe"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459179155514396685?s=20

@DrTedros "It’s another reminder, as we have said again and again, that vaccines do not replace the need for other #COVID19 precautions"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459179281184174081?s=20

@DrTedros "Vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalisation, severe disease and death. But they do not fully prevent #COVID19 transmission. Some European countries are now reintroducing restrictions to curb transmission and take the pressure off their health systems"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "No country should be in this position, almost two years into the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459179860404940804?s=20

@DrTedros "We continue to recommend the tailored and proportionate use of testing, masks, physical distancing, measures to prevent crowding, improve ventilation, and more. And get vaccinated when it’s your turn"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "Every country must constantly assess its situation and adjust its approach accordingly. With the right mix of measures, it’s possible for countries to find the balance between keeping #COVID19 transmission down and keeping their societies and economies open"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "No country can simply vaccinate its way out of the #COVID19 pandemic.

It’s not vaccines or, it’s vaccines and.

And it’s not just about how many people are vaccinated, it’s about who is vaccinated"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "It makes no sense to give boosters to healthy adults or to vaccinate children, when #healthworkers, older people & other high-risk groups around the 🌍 are still waiting for their 1st dose. The exception, as we have said, is immunocompromised individuals"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "And yet countries with the highest vaccine coverage continue to stockpile more #COVID19 vaccines, while low-income countries continue to wait"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459180513034440735?s=20

@DrTedros "Every day, there are 6️⃣ times more boosters administered globally than primary doses in low-income countries.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐰"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459180639069081644?s=20

@DrTedros "We have shown that #COVAX works, if it has the vaccines. COVAX has now shipped almost 500 million vaccines to 144 countries and territories"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "All countries have started vaccinating except two: Eritrea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The vast majority of countries are ready to get doses into arms, but they need the doses"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459181029948805122?s=20

@DrTedros "To reach WHO’s target of vaccinating 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year, we need an additional 550 million doses – about 10 days’ production"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "I participated in a meeting of foreign ministers convened by 🇺🇸 @SecBlinken. I welcome the ministers’ commitment to achieving WHO’s vaccination targets, & to continue meeting to track progress. With a concerted effort by countries and manufacturers, we can get there"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken "Vaccines alone will not end the pandemic, but we cannot end the pandemic unless we solve the global vaccine crisis.

And #COVID19 is not the only vaccine crisis we face"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken "A new report by WHO and the @CDCgov shows that more than 22 million infants missed their first dose of #measles vaccine last year – 3 million more than in 2019, marking the largest increase in two decades"-@DrTedros #VaccinesWork

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1458495897474641931?s=20

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "24 #measles vaccination campaigns in 23 countries were postponed because of the #COVID19 pandemic, leaving more than 93 million people at risk of one of the world’s most contagious pathogens"-@DrTedros #VaccinesWork

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1458526821952147456?s=20

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "The report shows that compared with 2019, reported #measles cases decreased by more than 80% in 2020. But this decrease is cause for concern, not celebration. Measures to prevent the spread of #COVID19 may have contributed to a reduction in transmission of measles"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "The decrease also reflects the fact that fewer specimens were sent for lab testing last year than any year in the past decade. The drop in vaccination, combined with weak monitoring, testing & reporting, create the ideal conditions for explosive outbreaks of #measles"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "WHO and our partners are continuing to work with countries to resume vaccination campaigns, make up the ground we have lost and drive progress towards #measles elimination"-@DrTedros #VaccinesWork

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "Inequitable access to life-saving products is unfortunately not just a problem in #COVID19; it’s a problem in many diseases, including #diabetes"-@DrTedros bit.ly/3c2ADZY

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "This Sunday is #WorldDiabetesDay & we're celebrating the 100th anniversary of #insulin. Insulin:
-makes a disease manageable for 9M ppl with type 1 #diabetes
-is essential in reducing kidney failure, blindness & limb amputation risk for 60M+ ppl with type 2 diabetes"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "The scientists who first discovered #insulin a century ago refused to profit from their discovery and sold the patent for just one dollar. Unfortunately, that gesture of solidarity has been overtaken by a multi-billion-dollar business that has created vast access gaps"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "1 in every 2 people who need #insulin for type 2 diabetes does not get it. A new WHO report finds that high prices, low availability of human insulin, a market dominated by 3 companies, & weak health systems are the main barriers to universal access"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov "WHO is working with countries and manufacturers to increase access to #insulin for everyone who needs it"-@DrTedros #WorldDiabetesDay bit.ly/3c2ADZY

@DrTedros @SecBlinken @CDCgov The full remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 media briefing - 12 November 2021: bit.ly/3kxMALF