WHO's Tedros urges countries and drug makers to get more vaccine to poorer countries

WHO aims to inoculate 10% of populations of all countries by September

The Covid-19 pandemic is being perpetuated by a "scandalous inequity" in vaccine distribution, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressing its annual ministerial assembly, urged countries to donate vaccine doses to the COVAX mechanism to inoculate 10% of populations of all countries by September, and 30% by year-end.

Tedros also called on vaccine manufacturers to give COVAX the first right of refusal on new volumes of vaccines, or to commit 50% of their volumes to COVAX this year.