The World Health Organisation has advised countries and governments world over to uphold strict compliance to coronavirus safety measures as there may never be a perfect vaccine for the deadly respiratory disease.
It explained that the noticeable drop in safety measures across the world with people’s changing attitudes to virality of the infection which contributed to resurgence and increase in positive cases of infections in recent times necessitated the concerns.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said that since the existence of possible or perfect cure for coronavirus infection has not been proven, it is imperative that the world stick with preventive measures which had proven effective in flattening curve of the virus.
Speaking on Monday during a virtual news briefing from the U.N. body’s headquarters in Geneva, Ghebreyesus noted that though some vaccines are currently being subjected to clinical evaluation, there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19 in the form of a perfect vaccine and that the road to normality would be long, with some countries requiring a reset of strategy.
Furthermore, the WHO chief enjoined nations to rigorously enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing, and testing, adding that face masks should become a symbol of solidarity around the world.
“The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all. A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment – and there might never be,” he said.
The WHO head said that, while the coronavirus was the biggest health emergency since the early 20th century, the international scramble for a vaccine was also “unprecedented”.
“There are concerns that we may not have a vaccine that may work or its protection could be for just a few months, not more. But until we finish the clinical trials, we will not know,” he added.