The US pharmaceutical company Pfizer applied for approval for third doses of its Covid-19 vaccine on Monday. This received sharp criticism from the World Health Organization (WHO). Its chairman Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (56) accused the pharmaceutical multinational of greed. Vaccine manufacturers should give preference to less affluent countries rather than seeking questionable booster vaccinations in rich, already well-vaccinated countries.
Covid cases are also rising again in the USA. That prompted Pfizer development partner Biontech to apply for federal approval for third booster vaccinations – too hasty, as German researchers have already found. As long as there are no reliable scientific studies, it is completely open whether millions of people will have to be vaccinated again in the fall, says Hajo Zeeb from the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology in Bremen.
The WHO is now expressing the same criticism. A vaccination booster makes little sense for two reasons, said WHO Director General Tedros: First, instead of doing more business in industrialized countries, Pfizer should focus on improving access to vaccines around the world instead. Second, the WHO doubts the benefit of a third booster vaccination.
WHO doubts the need for third-party vaccinations
“We are currently making a conscious decision not to protect those in need,” quoted the “Guardian” the WHO chief. Tedros spoke of “greed” that drives grotesque inequalities in vaccines.
People who have not yet received a single dose should be given priority for vaccination, he demands. The leading vaccine suppliers Pfizer and Moderna called on Tedros to “do everything possible to serve countries with low and middle income”. The number of Covid patients is beginning to rise again and the delta variant “triggers catastrophic waves of cases”.
Because the WHO also assumes that third booster vaccinations are not necessary at all. According to Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, “There is no scientific evidence at this point to suggest that booster vaccinations are definitely needed.”
“Looking back with anger and shame”
Swaminathan said WHO would only make recommendations on booster vaccinations “based on science and data, and not on individual companies’ statements that vaccines should now be given as a booster dose.”
Michael Ryan, head of the WHO emergency program, appealed to the ethical obligation of rich countries: If they choose to give booster vaccinations instead of giving them to developing countries, “we will look back with anger and shame.” (kes)