With pandemic restrictions easing across Canada, a House of Commons committee was warned today that disruptive new variants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge every few months unless the low vaccination rate in poorer countries rises.
The message was delivered to the Commons foreign affairs committee by the head of Gavi, the international organization leading the distribution of vaccines to the developing world, and a senior United Nations Children's Agency official.
“Even though many countries with high coverage have now relaxed restrictions and reopened their societies, we are still in a state of global crisis,” said Berkley. “So far, a new variant has emerged roughly every four to five months, and globally, nothing has changed to give us reason to believe that this pattern won't continue.”
What's more, said Caprani, while COVID-19 might not have posed the greatest risk to children compared to other groups, the pandemic has caused them a generation's worth of harm in other ways. School closures, lack of access to maternal and newborn health care and a decline in immunizations of other preventable diseases has led to a re-emergence of measles and polio, she added.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada was increasing its contribution to COVAX, the international vaccine sharing alliance that Gavi is leading, to $700 million to help purchase, deliver and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries. McPherson and fellow Conservative committee member Ziad Aboultaif grilled two other witnesses about the lagging vaccine distribution to low-income countries: representatives from the vaccine companies AstraZeneca Canada and Pfizer Canada.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New variants will fuel COVID pandemic unless global vaccine rate rises: Gavi, UNICEFWith pandemic restrictions easing across Canada, a House of Commons committee was warned today that disruptive new variants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge every few months unless the low vaccination rate in poorer countries rises.
Read more »
Global News’ Susan Hay receives Order of Ontario | Globalnews.caThe Order of Ontario honour was bestowed upon Hay during a ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum on Tuesday.
Read more »
Amazon launches limited-edition collections from global influencersLike what you see in The Drop? You have 30 hours or less to order
Read more »
Indonesia's palm oil export ban leaves global buyers with no plan BGlobal edible oil consumers have no option but to pay top dollar for supplies after Indonesia's surprise palm oil export ban forced buyers to seek alternatives, already in short supply due to adverse weather and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Read more »
FortisBC plans two pipelines in Squamish as global demand for energy growsFortisBC believes a second pipeline is needed at the proposed B.C. site as Europe scrambles to reduce its dependence on natural gas from Russia
Read more »
New variants will fuel COVID pandemic unless global vaccine rate rises: Gavi, UNICEFWith pandemic restrictions easing across Canada, a House of Commons committee was warned today that disruptive new variants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge every few months unless the low vaccination rate in poorer countries rises.
Read more »