WHO

COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against Omicron – WHO

Preliminary evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World…

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UPDATED: Omicron poses “very high” global risk but data on severity limited – WHO

GENEVA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant, reported in more than 60 countries, poses a "very high" global risk, with some evidence that it evades vaccine protection but…

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WHO exec: donated COVID-19 vaccines with short shelf life ‘major problem’

GENEVA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Wealthy countries donating COVID-19 vaccines with a relatively short shelf life has been a “major problem” for the COVAX dose sharing programme, a senior official…

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UPDATED: People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) vaccine advisory panel recommends that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 shot, it said…

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WHO’s Tedros tells world “Act now to curb Omicron’s spread”

GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Governments need to reassess national responses to COVID-19 and speed up vaccination programmes to tackle Omicron, though it is it too early to say how…

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Omicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalizations set to rise – WHO

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.…

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Vaccines should work against Omicron variant, WHO says

Existing vaccines should still protect people who contract the Omicron variant from severe Covid cases, a World Health Organization (WHO) official says. It comes as the first lab tests of…

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Malaria deaths rise by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions, says WHO

Healthcare disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, but a worst-case scenario was averted, the World Health Organization said on Monday.…

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WHO chief scientist says Omicron ‘quite infectious’, must not panic

Dec 3 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the new coronavirus variant Omicron is very transmissible but that people should not panic about it. Swaminathan…

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WHO says vaccination, not travel curbs, key to battling Omicron

MANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to boost healthcare capacity and vaccinate their people to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the…

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WHO agrees to launch talks on pact to tackle pandemics

GENEVA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) agreed on Wednesday to launch negotiations on an international pact to prevent and control future pandemics at a time when…

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Moderna CEO warns COVID-19 shots less effective against Omicron, spooks markets

Drugmaker Moderna's CEO (MRNA.O) set off fresh alarm bells in financial markets on Tuesday after he warned that COVID-19 vaccines were unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant…

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WHO flags Omicron risk, curbs tighten worldwide, Biden urges vaccination

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Omicron coronavirus variant carried a very high risk of infection surges as more countries closed borders, casting a shadow over economic recovery…

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WHO says it is not yet clear if Omicron causes more severe disease

GENEVA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that it is not yet clear if the new Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible compared to…

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WHO nears consensus on future international pact to prevent pandemics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is inching closer to a consensus to negotiate an international agreement to prevent future pandemics, although Washington is so far reluctant to make the pact…

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WHO names new COVID variant omicron, cautions against travel measures

GENEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday classified the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern," saying it may spread…

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Right to be concerned about new COVID variant -WHO’s Nabarro

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - It is appropriate to be concerned about the new COVID coronavirus variant spreading in Southern Africa, the World Health Organisation's Special Envoy on COVID-19 David…

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UPDATED: WHO meets to designate new variant, cautions against travel measures

NEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19, saying they should…

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Children at lower risk from COVID, vaccines should go to poor – WHO

GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - As children and adolescents are at lower risk of severe COVID-19 disease, countries should prioritise sharing vaccine doses with the COVAX programme to bring urgently…

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Bigger use of masks in Europe over winter would ‘save about 160,000 lives’

Robb Butler, executive director for WHO Europe, told Sky News that a study issued last week in the BMJ suggested 53% of transmission was prevented by mask use. He said…

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Total COVID deaths in Europe could exceed 2.2 million by March -WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said a further 700,000 people could die from COVID-19 in Europe by March, taking the total to above 2.2 million, as it urged people to…

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World must bolster WHO and agree pandemic treaty, expert panel says

GENEVA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) must be strengthened with more funding and greater ability to investigate pandemics through a new treaty, an independent panel said…

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WHO and CDC warn world at risk of measles outbreaks as COVID-19 disrupts infant shots

The risk of measles outbreaks is high after more than 22 million infants missed their first vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and…

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COVID-19 cases near 250 million as Delta surge eases

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Worldwide cases due to COVID-19 were approaching 250 million on Sunday as the surge from the Delta variant eases and more normal trade and tourism resume,…

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No decrease in effectiveness if COVID-19 jab and flu vaccine is taken together – WHO

COPENHAGEN, Nov 4 (Reuters) - People can get inoculated against COVID-19 and the seasonal influenza at the same time without compromising the vaccines' effectiveness, a World Health Organization official said…

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COVID-19 transmission rates in Europe “grave concern”, WHO Europe head says

European countries must work harder to prevent the coronavirus spreading further as deaths and new cases surge, the World Health Organization's Europe head said on Thursday. Current transmission rates in…

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WHO confirms that Tedros lone candidate for director-general election in May

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that its current director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the only candidate nominated for the U.N. agency's elections in May. "WHO can announce…

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EU suspends funding to WHO programmes in Congo after sex scandal

The European Commission has suspended funding to the World Health Organization's programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to concerns over the U.N. agency's handling of the sexual abuse…

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WHO warns pandemic will drag on into 2022

The Covid pandemic will "go on for a year longer than it needs to" because poorer countries are not getting the vaccines they need, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.…

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WHO-led programme aims to buy antiviral COVID-19 pills for $10

A World Health Organization-led programme to ensure poorer countries get fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments aims to secure antiviral drugs for patients with mild symptoms for as little…

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WHO says it may be ‘last chance’ to find COVID origins

The World Health Organization said its newly formed advisory group on dangerous pathogens may be "our last chance" to determine the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and urged China to…

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WHO approved a malaria vaccine for children – a global health expert explains why that is a big deal

The World Health Organization recommended its first malaria vaccine for children on Oct. 6, 2021 – a breakthrough hailed by the U.N. agency as a “historic moment.” Approval of the…

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WHO is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea through China's border port of Dalian, despite few signs North Korea has eased strict border lockdowns…

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WHO backs rollout of malaria vaccine for African children

NAIROBI/DAKAR, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday the only approved vaccine against malaria should be widely given to African children, potentially marking a major…

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Africa lags on COVID-19 vaccination, healthcare workers at risk – WHO, nurses say

Only 15 of Africa's 54 nations have fully vaccinated 10% of their populations against COVID-19 and many frontline health workers remain at risk, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International…

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Germany seeks backing for Tedros at WHO as deadline for proposing candidates set to expire

Germany is seeking support from other European Union members to ensure a second term for Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the helm of the World Health Organisation, but African states have…

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WHO’s Tedros wins German backing for second term

BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - German Health Minister Jens Spahn backed a second term for World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and called on other countries to support the…

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Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing

The World Health Organization has announced the appointment of Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing. Mr Brown is widely credited…

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Are COVID-19 boosters ethical, with half the world waiting for a first shot? A bioethicist weighs in

Nancy S. Jecker Professor of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, University of Washington Should countries that can afford COVID-19 booster vaccines offer them to residents if scientists recommend them?…

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WHO’s Tedros looks set to run unopposed for a second term

The World Health Organization's chief looks set to run unopposed for a second term at the helm as tries to guide the world through its biggest health crisis in a…

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Number of people with dementia set to jump 40% to 78 mln by 2030 -WHO

More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, a neurological disorder that robs them of their memory and costs the world $1.3 trillion a year, the World Health…

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WHO monitoring new Coronavirus Mu variant

A new coronavirus variant named Mu has been designated a variant of interest by the World Health Organisation (WHO).Mu, or B.1.621, was first identified in Colombia and cases have been…

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Coronavirus booster shots can help vulnerable, WHO Europe head says

A COVID-19 booster shot is a way to keep the most vulnerable safe and not a luxury robbing people who have yet to have even a single jab, a senior World Health Organization official…

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UPDATED: WHO expects 236,000 more Covid deaths in Europe by 1 December

An increase in COVID-19 transmission rates across Europe over the last two weeks combined with low levels of vaccination in some countries are "deeply worrying", the head of WHO in…

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Africa’s COVID-19 third wave stabilises as vaccine levels rise – WHO

A third wave of COVID-19 infections in Africa has stabilised and the continent’s slow vaccination drive has picked up pace, the World Health Organisation said . Some 248,000 new cases…

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WHO hopes for air bridge into northern Afghanistan in days

Medical supplies will run out within days in Afghanistan where the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it hoped to establish an air bridge into the northern city of…

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WHO begins shipping Chinese vaccines despite some misgivings

The World Health Organization’s pandemic programme plans to ship 100 million doses of the Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 shots by the end of next month, mostly to Africa and Asia,…

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Kabul airport problems blocking medical supplies for Afghans -WHO

More than 500 tonnes of medical supplies including surgical equipment and severe malnutrition kits due to be delivered to Afghanistan this week are stuck because of Kabul airport restrictions, the…

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WHO seeks ‘best minds’ to probe new pathogens that jump from animals to humans

GENEVA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it was looking for the greatest scientific minds to advise on investigations into new high-threat pathogens that…

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WHO says sees no need for COVID booster jabs for now

Current data does not indicate that COVID-19 booster shots are needed, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, adding that the most vulnerable people worldwide should be fully vaccinated before high-income…

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WHO calls on governments to cooperate to accelerate studies into origins of COVID-19

The World Health Organization has called for all governments to cooperate to accelerate studies into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and “to depoliticize the situation.” “WHO reiterates that the…

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COVID-19 variants could be named after constellations once Greek alphabet is used up, WHO official says

New coronavirus strains could be named after constellations once the Greek alphabet is used up, a World Health Organisation (WHO) boss has suggested. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical…

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WHO calls for halting COVID-19 vaccine boosters in favour of unvaccinated

The World Health Organization is calling for a halt on COVID-19 vaccine boosters until at least the end of September, its head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, as the gap between…

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Hard-won gains at risk as Delta variant spreads- WHO

The world is at risk of losing hard-won gains in fighting COVID-19 as the highly transmissible Delta variant spreads, but WHO-approved vaccines remain effective, the World Health Organization said. The…

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U.S. top diplomat meets with WHO chief, backs study into COVID-19 origins

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday and affirmed U.S. support for the global health body’s plans to conduct additional…

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Young lured to tobacco addiction via e-cigarettes – WHO

GENEVA, July 27 (Reuters) - The tobacco industry's sleek marketing is attracting youngsters to e-cigarettes which can lead to tobacco addiction, despite claims by some executives that they aim to…

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WHO urges collaboration on virus origin after China rejects inquiry plan

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday for all countries to work together to investigate the origins of the coronavirus that caused COVID-19, a day after China rejected plans…

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