Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world Monday – CBC

U.S. FDA grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and up

Aug 23, 2021

The head of the World Health Organization has called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters Monday that he was “really disappointed” with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide. He called on countries offering third vaccine doses to forward what they would use for booster shots to other countries so they can increase their vaccination coverage.

Those whose immune system is compromised should get a booster shot, though they represent only a small percentage of the population, he added.

The United States announced last week it plans to make COVID-19 vaccine booster shots widely available starting on Sept. 20 as infections rise from the coronavirus delta variant.

Tedros said that vaccine injustice and vaccine nationalism increase the risk of more contagious variants like the delta variant emerging.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-august23-2021-1.6149781