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Friday 19 March, 2021

Please find enclosed the link of the WHO Director-General's statement as well as other materials from the COVID-19 media briefing on 19 March:

https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19-19-march-2021

After six weeks of declining cases in January and February, we are now on track for a fourth consecutive week of increasing cases. These are worrying trends as we continue to see the impact of variants, opening up of societies, and inequitable vaccine rollout.
WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety met this week to review the data on blood clots and low platelets among some people who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The committee has recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks, with tremendous potential for preventing infections and deaths from COVID-19.
While I’m pleased that almost 150 countries have now started vaccinating, we still face serious barriers in ramping up production and distribution. Vaccine equity is particularly important in cities, especially where people live in crowded conditions and the risks of transmission are high.
This Sunday marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Like vaccine equity, racial equity must be an essential part of our shared recovery from COVID-19.

Media briefing audio link (Length 1hrs 04mins):

https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Emergencies_Coronavirus_Press_Conference_19MAR2021.mp3

Media assets and information on COVID-19
https://who.canto.global/v/coronavirus

RELATED

Statement of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) COVID-19 subcommittee on safety signals related to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

As of 17 March 2021, more than 120 million cases of COVID-19 infections, with more than 2 million deaths, had been reported globally. Vaccination remains a critical tool to help prevent further illness and death and to control the pandemic.

So far, more than 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in Europe and more than 27 million doses of the Covishield vaccine (AstraZeneca vaccine by Serum Institute of India) have been administered in India. More.

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at C40 Mayors Convening: Access to Vaccines – 17 March 2021

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