WHO Africa: COVID-19 booster shots make ‘mockery’ of equity

By CARA ANNA
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Africa director for the World Health Organization says rich countries’ decisions to roll out COVID-19 booster shots while so many people across Africa remain unvaccinated “threaten the promise of a brighter tomorrow” for the continent. She adds that “as some richer countries hoard vaccines, they make a mockery of vaccine equity.” The U.S. on Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans. The WHO’s Matshidiso Moeti and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had warned against booster shots in recent weeks as less than 2% of Africa’s population of 1.3 billion people is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.