Omicron: WHO concerned rich countries could hoard vaccines
- Published
![Man enters mobile vaccination clinic in Manhattan, New York](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/4FEF/production/_122036402_072479991-1.jpg)
People in many Western countries are being encouraged to get booster jabs
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern that wealthy countries will start to hoard Covid vaccines in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant.
It said this could threaten supplies to nations where most people are still unvaccinated.
Some rich countries are accelerating the roll-out of a booster shot in response to Omicron.
There are concerns that vaccines are less effective against the variant.
Recent studies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine showed it produced far fewer neutralising antibodies against Omicron than against the original strain, but that this deficit could be reversed by the booster.
However, the WHO says administering primary doses should be the priority.
WHO vaccine director Kate O'Brien urged richer nations to continue donating vaccine doses and shipments to underserved countries to address what had become a dangerous inequity in access.
"As we head into whatever the Omicron situation is going to be, there is risk that the global supply is again going to revert to high-income countries hoarding vaccines," she said.
![Woman given vaccine in Karachi, Pakistan](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/9E0F/production/_122036404_072452703-1.jpg)
The WHO says primary doses should be the priority
Supplies to the global vaccine-sharing programme Covax have increased in recent months.
But world health officials fear a repeat of a shortfall of tens of millions of doses which occurred in the middle of this year, partly as a result of India suspending exports during a surge in cases.
Dr O'Brien said it was possible that additional doses might provide added protection against Omicron, but there was as yet little evidence they were needed to protect against severe disease.
Omicron is the most heavily mutated version of coronavirus found so far.
It was first identified in South Africa, where there is now a surge in the number of people catching Covid multiple times.
Global vaccine rollout
Percent of people fully vaccinated
World |
61
|
12,120,524,547 |
China |
87
|
3,403,643,000 |
India |
66
|
1,978,918,170 |
US |
67
|
596,233,489 |
Brazil |
79
|
456,903,089 |
Indonesia |
61
|
417,522,347 |
Japan |
81
|
285,756,540 |
Bangladesh |
72
|
278,785,812 |
Pakistan |
57
|
273,365,003 |
Vietnam |
83
|
233,534,502 |
Mexico |
61
|
209,179,257 |
Germany |
76
|
182,926,984 |
Russia |
51
|
168,992,435 |
Philippines |
64
|
153,852,751 |
Iran |
68
|
149,957,751 |
UK |
73
|
149,397,250 |
Turkey |
62
|
147,839,557 |
France |
78
|
146,197,822 |
Thailand |
76
|
139,099,244 |
Italy |
79
|
138,319,018 |
South Korea |
87
|
126,015,059 |
Argentina |
82
|
106,075,760 |
Spain |
87
|
95,153,556 |
Egypt |
36
|
91,447,330 |
Canada |
83
|
86,256,122 |
Colombia |
71
|
85,767,160 |
Peru |
83
|
77,892,776 |
Malaysia |
83
|
71,272,417 |
Saudi Arabia |
71
|
66,700,629 |
Myanmar |
49
|
62,259,560 |
Chile |
92
|
59,605,701 |
Taiwan |
82
|
58,215,158 |
Australia |
84
|
57,927,802 |
Uzbekistan |
46
|
55,782,994 |
Morocco |
63
|
54,846,507 |
Poland |
60
|
54,605,119 |
Nigeria |
10
|
50,619,238 |
Ethiopia |
32
|
49,687,694 |
Nepal |
69
|
46,888,075 |
Cambodia |
85
|
40,956,960 |
Sri Lanka |
68
|
39,586,599 |
Cuba |
88
|
38,725,766 |
Venezuela |
50
|
37,860,994 |
South Africa |
32
|
36,861,626 |
Ecuador |
78
|
35,827,364 |
Netherlands |
70
|
33,326,378 |
Ukraine |
35
|
31,668,577 |
Mozambique |
44
|
31,616,078 |
Belgium |
79
|
25,672,563 |
United Arab Emirates |
98
|
24,922,054 |
Portugal |
87
|
24,616,852 |
Rwanda |
65
|
22,715,578 |
Sweden |
75
|
22,674,504 |
Uganda |
24
|
21,756,456 |
Greece |
74
|
21,111,318 |
Kazakhstan |
49
|
20,918,681 |
Angola |
21
|
20,397,115 |
Ghana |
23
|
18,643,437 |
Iraq |
18
|
18,636,865 |
Kenya |
17
|
18,535,975 |
Austria |
73
|
18,418,001 |
Israel |
66
|
18,190,799 |
Guatemala |
35
|
17,957,760 |
Hong Kong |
86
|
17,731,631 |
Czech Republic |
64
|
17,676,269 |
Romania |
42
|
16,827,486 |
Hungary |
64
|
16,530,488 |
Dominican Republic |
55
|
15,784,815 |
Switzerland |
69
|
15,759,752 |
Algeria |
15
|
15,205,854 |
Honduras |
53
|
14,444,316 |
Singapore |
92
|
14,225,122 |
Bolivia |
51
|
13,892,966 |
Tajikistan |
52
|
13,782,905 |
Azerbaijan |
47
|
13,772,531 |
Denmark |
82
|
13,227,724 |
Belarus |
67
|
13,206,203 |
Tunisia |
53
|
13,192,714 |
Ivory Coast |
20
|
12,753,769 |
Finland |
78
|
12,168,388 |
Zimbabwe |
31
|
12,006,503 |
Nicaragua |
82
|
11,441,278 |
Norway |
74
|
11,413,904 |
New Zealand |
80
|
11,165,408 |
Costa Rica |
81
|
11,017,624 |
Ireland |
81
|
10,984,032 |
El Salvador |
66
|
10,958,940 |
Laos |
69
|
10,894,482 |
Jordan |
44
|
10,007,983 |
Paraguay |
48
|
8,952,310 |
Tanzania |
7
|
8,837,371 |
Uruguay |
83
|
8,682,129 |
Serbia |
48
|
8,534,688 |
Panama |
71
|
8,366,229 |
Sudan |
10
|
8,179,010 |
Kuwait |
77
|
8,120,613 |
Zambia |
24
|
7,199,179 |
Turkmenistan |
48
|
7,140,000 |
Slovakia |
51
|
7,076,057 |
Oman |
58
|
7,068,002 |
Qatar |
90
|
6,981,756 |
Afghanistan |
13
|
6,445,359 |
Guinea |
20
|
6,329,141 |
Lebanon |
35
|
5,673,326 |
Mongolia |
65
|
5,492,919 |
Croatia |
55
|
5,258,768 |
Lithuania |
70
|
4,489,177 |
Bulgaria |
30
|
4,413,874 |
Syria |
10
|
4,232,490 |
Palestinian Territories |
34
|
3,734,270 |
Benin |
22
|
3,681,560 |
Libya |
17
|
3,579,762 |
Niger |
10
|
3,530,154 |
DR Congo |
2
|
3,514,480 |
Sierra Leone |
23
|
3,493,386 |
Bahrain |
70
|
3,455,214 |
Togo |
18
|
3,290,821 |
Kyrgyzstan |
20
|
3,154,348 |
Somalia |
10
|
3,143,630 |
Slovenia |
59
|
2,996,484 |
Burkina Faso |
7
|
2,947,625 |
Albania |
43
|
2,906,126 |
Georgia |
32
|
2,902,085 |
Latvia |
70
|
2,893,861 |
Mauritania |
28
|
2,872,677 |
Botswana |
63
|
2,730,607 |
Liberia |
41
|
2,716,330 |
Mauritius |
74
|
2,559,789 |
Senegal |
6
|
2,523,856 |
Mali |
6
|
2,406,986 |
Madagascar |
4
|
2,369,775 |
Chad |
12
|
2,356,138 |
Malawi |
8
|
2,166,402 |
Moldova |
26
|
2,165,600 |
Armenia |
33
|
2,150,112 |
Estonia |
64
|
1,993,944 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
26
|
1,924,950 |
Bhutan |
86
|
1,910,077 |
North Macedonia |
40
|
1,850,145 |
Cameroon |
4
|
1,838,907 |
Kosovo |
46
|
1,830,809 |
Cyprus |
72
|
1,788,761 |
Timor-Leste |
52
|
1,638,158 |
Fiji |
70
|
1,609,748 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
51
|
1,574,574 |
Jamaica |
24
|
1,459,394 |
Macau |
89
|
1,441,062 |
Malta |
91
|
1,317,628 |
Luxembourg |
73
|
1,304,777 |
South Sudan |
10
|
1,226,772 |
Central African Republic |
22
|
1,217,399 |
Brunei |
97
|
1,173,118 |
Guyana |
58
|
1,011,150 |
Maldives |
71
|
945,036 |
Lesotho |
34
|
933,825 |
Yemen |
1
|
864,544 |
Congo |
12
|
831,318 |
Namibia |
16
|
825,518 |
Gambia |
14
|
812,811 |
Iceland |
79
|
805,469 |
Cape Verde |
55
|
773,810 |
Montenegro |
45
|
675,285 |
Comoros |
34
|
642,320 |
Papua New Guinea |
3
|
615,156 |
Guinea-Bissau |
17
|
572,954 |
Gabon |
11
|
567,575 |
Eswatini |
29
|
535,393 |
Suriname |
40
|
505,699 |
Samoa |
99
|
494,684 |
Belize |
53
|
489,508 |
Equatorial Guinea |
14
|
484,554 |
Solomon Islands |
25
|
463,637 |
Haiti |
1
|
342,724 |
Bahamas |
40
|
340,866 |
Barbados |
53
|
316,212 |
Vanuatu |
40
|
309,433 |
Tonga |
91
|
242,634 |
Jersey |
80
|
236,026 |
Djibouti |
16
|
222,387 |
Seychelles |
82
|
221,597 |
Sao Tome and Principe |
44
|
218,850 |
Isle of Man |
79
|
189,994 |
Guernsey |
81
|
157,161 |
Andorra |
69
|
153,383 |
Kiribati |
50
|
147,497 |
Cayman Islands |
90
|
145,906 |
Bermuda |
77
|
131,612 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
63
|
126,122 |
Saint Lucia |
29
|
121,513 |
Gibraltar |
123
|
119,855 |
Faroe Islands |
83
|
103,894 |
Grenada |
34
|
89,147 |
Greenland |
68
|
79,745 |
St Vincent and the Grenadines |
28
|
71,501 |
Liechtenstein |
69
|
70,780 |
Turks and Caicos Islands |
76
|
69,803 |
San Marino |
69
|
69,338 |
Dominica |
42
|
66,992 |
Monaco |
65
|
65,140 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
49
|
60,467 |
British Virgin Islands |
59
|
41,198 |
Cook Islands |
84
|
39,780 |
Anguilla |
67
|
23,926 |
Nauru |
79
|
22,976 |
Burundi |
0.12
|
17,139 |
Tuvalu |
52
|
12,528 |
Saint Helena |
58
|
7,892 |
Montserrat |
38
|
4,422 |
Falkland Islands |
50
|
4,407 |
Niue |
88
|
4,161 |
Tokelau |
71
|
1,936 |
Pitcairn |
100
|
94 |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
0
|
0 |
Eritrea |
0
|
0 |
North Korea |
0
|
0 |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
0
|
0 |
Vatican |
0
|
0 |
Please upgrade your browser to see the full interactive
This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals or vaccines administered for each location. Total doses may include booster doses in addition to those required for full vaccination. The definition of full vaccination varies by location and vaccine type and is subject to change over time. Full vaccination can refer to a person receiving all required doses of a specific vaccine or sometimes recovery from infection plus one dose of a vaccine. Definitions have not yet been updated to account for booster campaigns to control the spread of new variants. Some locations may reach vaccination rates over 100%, such as Gibraltar, due to population estimates that are lower than the number of people who have now been vaccinated in that place.
Source: Our World in Data
Last updated: 5 July 2022, 13:28 BST
![Short presentational grey line](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/1376/cpsprodpb/1497D/production/_105894348_short_grey_line_new-nc.png)
UK officials say early signs suggest Omicron could be more transmissible than the current Delta strain.
But Omicron's ability to cause severe disease is not yet clear.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, said early evidence suggested Omicron could be more transmissible but less severe.
There have been more than 267 million cases of Covid-19 and more than five million deaths around the globe since the pandemic started in 2020, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Covid-19: Can you catch two variants at once?
- Published7 December 2021
- Published5 July 2023
- Published4 January 2022