Widespread COVID-19 vaccinations not expected until mid-2021: WHO

Geneva: Even as the race for an effective COVID-19 vaccine continues, the World Health Organization, stressing upon the importance of rigorous checks on their effectiveness and safety, said on Friday that it does not expect widespread vaccinations against the Coronavirus until the middle of next year.

Spokeswoman Margaret Harris said that none of the candidate vaccines in advanced clinical trials so far has demonstrated a "clear signal" of efficacy at the level of at least 50 per cent sought by the WHO.

"Phase 3 must take longer because we need to see how truly protective the vaccine is. We also need to see how safe it is," she added. In phase 3, large scale clinical trials are conducted among people. Harris did not refer to any specific vaccine candidate.

All data from trials must be shared and compared, Harris said. "A lot of people have been vaccinated and what we don't know is whether the vaccine works. At this stage, we do not have the clear signal of whether or not it has the level of worthwhile efficacy and safety," she added.

The WHO and GAVI vaccine alliance is leading a global vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX that aims to help buy and distribute shots fairly. The focus is on first vaccinating the most high-risk people in every country such as healthcare workers.

COVAX aims to procure and deliver 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021, but some countries that have secured their supplies through bilateral deals, including the United States, have said they will not join.

"Essentially, the door is open. We are open. What the COVAX is about is making sure everybody on the planet will get access to the vaccines," Harris said.

Russia granted regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine in August after less than two months of human testing, prompting some Western experts to question its safety and efficacy.

US public health officials and Pfizer said a vaccine could be ready for distribution as soon as late October. That would be just ahead of the US election on November 3 in which the pandemic is likely to be a major factor among voters deciding whether President Donald Trump wins a second term.

As of Friday morning, the total number of global Coronavirus cases stood at 26,208,690 and the fatalities rose to 867,219.

The US accounted for the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 6,149,265 and 186,785 respectively. Brazil came in second place with 4,041,638 infections and 124,614 deaths.