As cases continue to rise in several European countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) is “alarmed” by a new wave of cases and deaths, and Europe’s executive director Robb Butler says the covid-19 vaccine commitment could be “a healthy debate “.
The official cites some predictions that indicate an increase in the number of deaths: by the spring of next year, even more may die. 500 thousand people on the continent European. The number was revised upward by WHO on Tuesday, which now points to an estimate 700 thousand deaths caused by covid-19. “Unfortunately, last week we passed the 1.5 million deaths mark,” Butler said. in an interview with Sky News, this Wednesday.
There are several factors that can help explain these numbers. Right from the start, according to WHO, only 54% of the population of the 53 Member States in the region have the vaccine. This means that there is still a lot of work to be done for this responsible person. “It looks like we have an unsettling season ahead of us.”
Added to this is the fact that there are many populations vulnerable to infection and that “Weakening” the immunity afforded by vaccinesespecially after 30 weeks. It should also be borne in mind that the Delta variant, which currently causes the majority of new cases, is more transmissive and that during colder seasons people are more concentrated in enclosed spaces – the use of masks and ventilation needs to be increased. …
Only 48% of the continent’s population wears masks: “If this number increases, we will see a decrease in cases and deaths,” says a WHO spokesman, noting that recent studies show that 53% of transmissions could be prevented with a mask. “If Europe were 95% wearing masks, we could save 160,000 lives,” says Robb Butler.
And the guarantee: Vaccinations are another important element of the equation. However, when asked whether to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory, the WHO Executive Director for Europe replies that “mandatory vaccines can increase consumption, but not always.”
“There are several lessons to be learned from history, where vaccination is imperative at the expense of trust,” he says. “This is a very delicate issue, but we believe it is time to talk about it from the point of view of the individual and the population.”
