The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated on Tuesday that being vaccinated against COVID-19 may not prevent transmission and that vaccination passports may not be an “effective strategy” for restarting travel.

“At this stage, we would not like to see vaccination passports as a requirement for entry or exit because we are not sure at this stage that the vaccine prevents transmissions,” said WHO spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris, ahead of World Health Day on 7 April 2021.

Dr Harris added that vaccine passports may not be an effective strategy as “not everyone has access to vaccines and there are groups in society who are excluded…We are still waiting on adequate supplies to provide the vaccines to all the countries that need them.”

Highlighting how COVID-19 has impacted some people more than others, Dr Harris said that the virus “has really exposed the stark inequities in access to and coverage of health services…Groups who already faced discrimination, poverty, social exclusion, difficult living and working conditions were the hardest hit by the pandemic”.

For this year’s World Health Day, the UN agency has urged countries to build a fairer, healthier world post-COVID-19. Dr Harris called for action to “put in place policies and allocate resources so the most vulnerable groups can see their condition improve faster”.

This means “improving living conditions for all”, tackling “poverty and health inequities”, building sustainable societies and strong economies, and promoting “a more equitable sharing of resources, ensuring food security and nutrition” and turning “the tide on climate change”.  There is so much work to do,” Dr Harris said.

Latest WHO data from Tuesday 6 march indicates that there have been 131,309,792 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,854,276 deaths globally, reported to WHO. As of Monday, 5 April 2021, a total of 604,032,357 vaccine doses have been administered.

1. Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations. 

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “COVID-19 has really exposed the stark inequities in access to and coverage of health services as well as on mortality rates. The socio-economic impact of the pandemic has varied widely between countries and regions exposing how unequal our societies are.”

3. Interior close shot, journalist listening to briefing.

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “Within countries those groups who already faced  discrimination, poverty, social exclusion difficult living and working conditions were the hardest hit by the pandemic with more people in those groups getting sick and sadly dying from COVID-19. ”

5. Interior close shot, journalist on laptop.

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “So as we prepare to build back from the pandemic this is the most critical part of our work. We need to put in place policies and allocate resources so genuinely the most vulnerable groups can see their condition improve faster so that marginalised groups and individuals can enjoy the same level of heath and well being and no one is left behind. ”

7. Interior close shot, journalist with mask.

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “COVID-19 has shown us that this is critical for the health of all. It means improving living conditions for all, that tackles poverty and health inequities, supports the necessary investments in health and wellbeing to build sustainable societies and strong economies, promotes a more equitable sharing of resources ensures food security and nutrition and finally turns the tide on climate change as well. there is so much work to do. ”

9. Mid shot, journalists working.

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “We would not like to see vaccination passports as a requirement for entry or exit because we are not sure at this stage that the vaccine prevents transmissions and there are all those other questions apart from the question of discrimination against people who are not able to have the vaccine for one reason or another. ”

11. United Nations logo.

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Margaret Harris, World Health Organization spokesperson: “Currently not everyone has access to vaccines and there are groups in society who are excluded. In many countries, pregnant women are not offered the vaccines, or children under 18, there are large number of people who may not be able to get it and then there is the lack of access to vaccines in many counties, we are still waiting on adequate supplies to provide the vaccines to all the countries that need them.”

13. Wide shot of podium.