Illustration of barrier actions to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
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GILE Michel
The World Health Organization is trying to curb the optimist that is emerging a little too quickly in the wake of the Covid-19 vaccine announcements.
There is indeed a great risk that behaviors will relax too soon.
The vaccines will not arrive in time to fight the second wave of the pandemic and many countries "will continue to face it without vaccines", warned the WHO emergency manager on Wednesday.
"I think it will be at least four to six months before there are sufficient levels of immunization anywhere," Michael Ryan said in a question-and-answer session on social media, noting that vaccines should not be seen as a "magic potion".
"We are not there yet with regard to vaccines," despite recent announcements of promising vaccines that are 90% or more effective, he said.
No "carelessness"
"Many countries are facing this wave, and they will cross it and continue to face it without vaccines," he added.
"We have to understand and internalize this, and realize that this time we have to climb this mountain without vaccines."
The Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for his part welcomed the new developments on the vaccine front but also warned against any "letting go".
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