World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared this week that COVID-19 booster programs will cause the disease to spread and mutate, thus lengthening the time before the pandemic becomes endemic.
“Blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic, rather than ending it, by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of vaccination coverage, giving the virus more opportunity to spread and mutate,” Tedros said.
The WHO and Tedros have turned against the universal booster program as Israel prepares to inject its citizens aged 60 and older, as well as doctors, nurses, and first responders, with the second booster—the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Bloomberg reported.
“No country can boost its way out of the pandemic,” Tedros said.
Tedros said nations should limit boosters to people aged 60 and older as well as those with severe preexisting medical conditions.
The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel likewise said in September that America should limit COVID-19 booster shots to the very sick and those aged 65 and older, NBC News reported.
The FDA then ignored that advice and approved boosters for all American adults in November, NBC News reported.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the disease’s “50 mutations” indicate that “just being vaccinated with two doses may not be enough,” CNBC reported.
“We want people to be able to gather” Walensky said this week on CNN. “And safe gathering includes, of course, being vaccinated, ideally being boosted and making sure that all the people who you gather with are also vaccinated and boosted.”
In the same interview, Walensky said the CDC may ignore Tedros, follow Israel’s guide, and approve a fourth booster shot.
“If there is science and when there is science that demonstrates that that is necessary, we will certainly be reviewing that,” she said. “We will absolutely consider it. Right now, we are working to make sure that our vaccinated people get a booster.”
