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GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday (November 16) that a vaccine alone would not stop the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic is raging months after it broke out, with infections exceeding 54 million and claiming more than 1.3 million lives.
“A vaccine will complement the other tools we have, it will not replace them,” said CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “A vaccine alone will not end the pandemic.”
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WHO figures for Saturday showed 660,905 cases of coronavirus were reported to the UN health agency, setting a new record.
That number, and the 645,410 recorded on Friday, surpassed the previous daily record of 614,013 recorded on November 7.
Tedros said that the vaccine supply would initially be restricted, and that “health workers, the elderly and other populations at risk would be prioritized. This is expected to reduce the number of deaths and allow health systems to face”.
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But he warned: “That will still leave the virus with a lot of room to move. Surveillance will have to continue, people will still have to be examined, isolated and cared for, contacts will still have to be traced … and individuals will still need to be cared for.”
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