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International travellers won't be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccine: WHO

Prashasti Awasthi Mumbai | Updated on January 27, 2021 Published on January 27, 2021

‘Preferential vaccination of international travellers would counter the principle of equity’

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintained that the international travellers will not be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine shots amidst the limited stock of it.

WHO asked countries to focus on 20 per cent of the most vulnerable population to the infection. After achieving this, they can expand the scope of the vaccine.

"In the current period of very limited vaccine supply, preferential vaccination of international travellers would counter the principle of equity," SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization) said, quoted as saying in the Livemint report.

"Because of this and the lack of evidence that vaccination reduces the risk of transmission, SAGE currently does not recommend Covid-19 vaccination of travellers," it said.

It, however, added that people who belong to the high-risk group category and are planning to travel should be included in vaccination programmes.

Meanwhile, the WHO's SAGE has formulated a series of recommendations that were issued after reviewing data that the vaccine should not be used on pregnant women unless they are health workers or have conditions putting them at high risk.

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Published on January 27, 2021
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