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Europe remains at risk of Autumn Covid resurgence, WHO warns

AFP
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Europe remains at risk of Autumn Covid resurgence, WHO warns
Guests sit outside a café after restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen outdoor seating amidst the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Berlin, on May 22, 2021. (Photo by Adam Berry / AFP)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned Thursday that vaccination rates in Europe were still far off what was needed to stop a virus resurgence and called on countries to maintain protective measures.

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According to the organisation, 30 percent of people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 17 percent have been fully vaccinated in the WHO's European Region -- which spans 53 countries and territories and includes several in Central Asia.

"Although we have come far, we have not come far enough," Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, told a press conference.

"Vaccination coverage is far from sufficient to protect the region from a resurgence. The distance to go before reaching at least 80 percent coverage of the adult population is still considerable," Kluge added.

WHO Europe director Hans Kluge. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

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He noted that the region had seen an overall decline in new cases, hospitalisations and deaths for two consecutive months, but urged nations to avoid repeating the "mistake" of last summer by easing measures prematurely, leading to a resurgence in the autumn.

"Over the course of last summer, cases gradually rose in younger age groups and then moved into older age groups, contributing to a devastating resurgence, lockdowns and loss of life, in the autumn and winter of 2020," Kluge said.

He called on countries to take "last year's lessons aboard," by acting fast on signals of increasing cases, expanding testing and contact tracing, and "rapidly attaining very high vaccine uptake in the most vulnerable populations."

He also called on people to "enjoy the summer safely" by adhering to health guidelines.

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markus.pizka 2021/06/11 11:35
I read that the protection from the vaccination would last only for 6 months. So how does a vaccination from April to June make sense, when it is known that the Virus is mostly active in late autumn and winter? With this in mind: I wonder how 80% can reasonably be achieved for autumn and winter?
  • julia.pivniouk 2021/06/11 13:33
    That's why they are discussing booster vaccinations..but if the rollout is as slow as the first ones were, another horrible winter. America may have had a lot more deaths, but in the end, they got their shit together. Here however...
julia.pivniouk 2021/06/11 11:35
Lol does Europe/Germany want this pandemic to actually ever end? Like get it together and vaccinate everyone by the end of this summer so we can have normal lives again. Anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated has to be extra careful, but the rest of us, we need to go on and move on. But come on, another wave? Another lockdown? Another winter like this past year will destroy those of us who struggle with mental health. Make vaccination a priority. Vaccinate everyone everywhere asap. I don't understand why it's so hard here.......

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