WHO scientist hopes for vaccine end of next year

chief scientist at World Health Organization said ncy hopes re will be about 2 billion doses of a vaccine against COVID-19 by end of next year that would be reserved for “priority populations.”

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan told a press briefing: “It’s a big if because we don’t have any vaccine that’s proven.”

She said that because of numerous vaccine candidates currently being tested, WHO hoped at least some might prove rey for use next year.

Swaminathan said that WHO recommends immunizing people at risk first, including elderly and those with underlying conditions like diabetes or respiratory disease, as well as key workers.

But Swaminathan ted that re was still strategy regarding any possible global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. “WHO will propose se solutions,” she said. “Countries need to agree and come to a consensus. That’s only way this can work.”

Numerous developed countries including Britain, France, Nerlands, Germany and U.S. have alrey struck deals with pharmaceuticals to secure vaccine supplies for ir citizens first.

WHO and partners have called for drugmakers to suspend ir patent rights on any effective COVID-19 vaccine and for billions of dollars to buy vaccines for developing countries.