Authorised COVID-19 vaccines effective against all known variants: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe’s Regional Director Hans Kluge on May 20 said that all variants of SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19 can be controlled by the available, approved vaccines. In a press briefing on Thursday, Kluge also informed that variants emerging of the novel coronavirus that was first discovered in China in December 2019, shall also be neutralised in the same manner including public health and social measures. He said that last week the WHO Europe had convened the health ministers from all 53 member states to monitor the vaccination uptake and strategise further. 

Hans Kluge said, “Allow me to emphasize. That all COVID-19 virus variants can be controlled in the same way. With public health & social measures. And that all COVID-19 virus variants that have emerged so far, do respond to the available, approved vaccines.”

“Last week, we convened health ministers from all 53 member states, to take stock of vaccination uptake & strategize in order to extend the benefits of available vaccines to more people in the Region...Vaccination uptake among those older than 80 in our Region, is now 75%. Prioritizing older adults for vaccination, including those in long-term care facilities, is bearing fruit. The public health impact is clear,” he added.

WHO Says COVID-19 Vaccines 'effective' Against B.1.617 Variant

Earlier, World Health Organization (WHO) on May 11 said that the COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics “continue to be effective” against the B.1.617 variant of the novel coronavirus which was first discovered in India. WHO representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin said that based on the present information of the SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19 and its ‘double mutant’ variant, the existing treatments are able to neutralise the pathogen. Recently, the variant identified in India has been classified as a variant of global concern with some initial studies showing that it is more infectious and spreads more easily.

"Based on what WHO knows so far as per discussions with experts globally, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics continue to be effective against B.1.617 variant (of COVID-19), which WHO has classified as a variant of concern," WHO Representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin as quoted by ANI.

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