Around 99% of COVID-19 deaths are among unvaccinated people, said World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Margaret Harris on Tuesday, calling on people to get COVID-19 vaccine jabs.
Harris was asked at a U.N. press conference by Anadolu Agency (AA) about hesitancy to use vaccines in many parts of the world and if vaccines do their job.
"Yes, they work, and they work very, very well," said Harris.
"And remember what they were designed to do. They were designed to prevent hospitalizations, severe illness and death. And they are doing that very well," she added.
She said that looking at the "people who sadly are in the hospital" and those who "even more sadly, are dying, the vast majority, 99% of them, are unvaccinated even in countries with very high vaccination coverage."
Harris said it is "a great tragedy" if some countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines as there are many countries that do not have access to doses.
"If you have access to a vaccine, understand this is a great gift. This is a great privilege," said the WHO spokesperson.
She acknowledged that many people have concerns and said if they want information, they can go to the trusted sources and learn accurate information about vaccines.
"There's an enormous amount of information on the World Health Organization sites, and on your local country ministry of health sites you will find great information.
"Don't listen to stuff on social media. Go to the trusted sources ... Sure ask your questions," Harris said.
According to the WHO, almost 5.78 billion vaccine doses have been administered across the world.
Still, there is a massive discrepancy between the number of jabs given in the developed and the developing world.
WHO says that only 2% of vaccines have been administered in Africa.
"WHO's global targets are to support every country to vaccinate at least 10% of its population by the end of this month, 40% by the end of the year and 70% of the world's population by the middle of next year," WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said Monday.
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