(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Returning to 'normal life amid the Covid-19 pandemic will only happen if every single person in the world makes it their responsibility, health experts have told a global online audience as Qatar Foundation (QF)'s Education City Speaker Series explored whether new vaccines can point the way to victory over the virus. In a virtual discussion titled 'An Injection of Hope: Do Vaccines Mean an End to the Pandemic Is in Sight?' hosted in collaboration with the World Innovation Summit for Health -- QF's global healthcare initiative and World Health Organisation (WHO), representatives and leaders of public health and vaccine science emphasised that all of global society must play an 'active role in defeating Covid-19 not only by being vaccinated, but also by continuing to follow health guidelines even after they have received a vaccine.
The session also saw speakers drive home the importance of vaccine equity, warning 'nobody is safe until everyone is safe.
'World leaders need to maintain strong political, social and economic solidarity to scale up the global response and minimise the impact of the pandemic, said Dr Ahmed al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean. 'Rich countries have the full capability to make sure their citizens are vaccinated, but we should not let those in low-resource countries go without vaccination.
'This pandemic is new to us. We haven't experienced anything like it in 100 years. But the vaccine is a tool to protect us. It will lessen the severity of the virus, and it will save lives.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, told the discussion it had been 'disappointing and painful to see worldwide disparities in vaccine distribution, saying: 'It's important that all countries, irrespective of their economic situation, share vaccines and share data, because that is the only way of bringing this pandemic under control.
'Fairer distribution and support from wealthy countries is vital to ensuring that low- and middle-income countries are not left behind in the vaccine drive. Research shows that ensuring equitable access will save up to $500bn globally and afford protection to all economies.
Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, said: 'In order for us to control the pandemic and gradually start to go back toward normal life, every member of every community in every country should feel that they have an active role in fighting Covid-19, and that they have an individual responsibility they must fulfil by following restrictions and basic preventative measures. "
The session moderated by journalist, newsreader and TV presenter Kirsty Wark also heard from Nahoko Shindo, head of Secretariat for WHO's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards, who called on global communities to 'be kind, be smart, be responsible, and let's have our future back in our hands.
She also explained how Covid-19 misinformation has led to about 800 people dying and almost 6,000 being hospitalised, saying: 'We have to use social and behavioural science to tackle this infodemic it's not just a top-down message; we really need a bottom-up approach to control this virus, and that is why the right understanding of vaccines is so important.
'There's an abundance of information we call it an army of information about the pandemic, which people have to choose from. And making that choice is really difficult.
Meanwhile, Dr Jerome Kim, director-general of the International Vaccine Institute, focused on the science behind the vaccine, telling the discussion: 'There are still many questions that we have to answer about the correct dose and spacing of doses; whether a second wave of vaccines can be tested as quickly and easily; whether we understand how vaccines prevent infection or transmission, to get to the real question around vaccine effectiveness.
'We need an international network of surveillance and sequencing of viruses from all over the world so that, in real time, organisations like WHO and others are able to identify variants that pose a threat to the success of vaccines and vaccination. And as we're all in this together, we have to work together to vaccinate, wear masks and physically distance ourselves until the pandemic is under substantial control.
MENAFN25022021000067011011ID1101664615
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.