WHO Europe Chief Calls For Political Engagement To Ensure Effective COVID-19 Vaccination

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge on Friday called on member states of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS) Council to be more politically engaged to ensure the effective vaccination against COVID-19.

"To protect our society as much as possible, we need well-designed laws ... As the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine becomes a reality, I urge you to use all available tools to ensure effective and transparent implementation of strategic vaccination," Kluge said at a meeting of the IPA CIS Council.

The official added that the WHO Regional Office for Europe would continue to provide necessary assistance both during and after the pandemic.

"To support the work in your countries on this front in the current crisis, WHO has provided more than 600 recommendations, attracted expert groups, provided medical workers, medical equipment," Kluge noted, adding that political engagement was also essential for successful health investments.

At present, there are 48 candidate vaccines on the World Health Organization's list. Some manufacturers have already begun releasing the interim results of the phase three trials of their candidate vaccines. Russia's Sputnik V, as well as candidate vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, have all reported over 90 percent efficacy, according to the preliminary data. The average efficacy of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine totals 70 percent, interim analysis shows.