health

WHO chief warns against 'vaccine nationalism'

24 Comments
By Fabrice COFFRINI

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Why would anyone ever listen to him again? I certainly won't. I didn't even read the article, just the headline was enough for me to skip the rest.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

@Zodiac Present

Same here.

I am still waiting for the WHO's investigation report about the originate of the Virus in China.

A few months ago they send staff to China to investigate the originate of the virus, but till now no explanation or any report.

Maybe they are too busy with going out for dinner and drinking every night with the CCP and taking corruption money from them.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Ever notice how the only people criticizing the WHO are from a single political party from a single nation?

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

People keep acting as if the WHO had the authority and power to go and solve the problems in every country by itself. The organization depends completely on the cooperation of the different governments to do their functions, it is not like they have the means to impose collaboration.

As in this case, they ask for the different countries to listen to the science and realize how much better a global strategy is compared with "every country by itself" to bring a fast and less complicated solution to the pandemic. But it is not like they can force any country to cooperate if they don't want.

Covax is unfortunately a plan too naïve to actually work, it depends on politicians to do the best thing for the people instead of the best thing for themselves or their party. Complications on the situation of the immunization efforts in the different countries and obvious animosities make it impossible to expect a solid unified front against the pandemic.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

"Ever notice how the only people criticizing the WHO are from a single political party from a single nation?"

What is it with this fixation over partisan issues? I am not an American and could not care less about the divisive issues over there, but is it not obvious that the flip flops of the Ethiopian guy, his hesitation in calling out China (ostensibly because WHO seeks China's cooperation) and failure of WHO leadership to warn nations in time have damaged the credibility of WHO beyond repair.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Good advice.

In related news, "The Telegraph" is reporting that Singapore has stopped administering flu vaccines, after 48 died in South Korea.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/singapore-halts-flu-vaccines-48-011440204.html

Rather shocking and surprising news. I hope that things go better with a Covid-19 vaccine.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Rather shocking and surprising news. I hope that things go better with a Covid-19 vaccine.

Wow, that is shocking; I didn't know the death count was so high! From that article:

South Korea reported that 48 have died as of Saturday after getting flu shots, but said it would carry on with the state-run vaccination programme as they found no direct link between the deaths and the shots.

I noticed that some never accept the link between vaccines and their adverse effects/deaths. Glad to see the Singapore authorities acting responsibly.

I suspect the Korean flu vaccine was tested more than the current Covid-19 vaccines are.

I hope Japan doesn't show "vaccine nationalism" and lets other countries have the Covid-19 vaccines first.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

I noticed that some never accept the link between vaccines and their adverse effects/deaths. Glad to see the Singapore authorities acting responsibly.

At least this doesn't happen here, unfortunately the opposite is true, for some people anything bad that happens to someone that was vaccinated has to be because of the vaccine. Congenital malformation? because of the vaccine, traffic accident? also. Another completely unrelated infection? sure, why not.

Many don't even wait until investigations are finished, simply suspicion is enough to accuse vaccines of causing everything, but the worst are those that continue to do the same even after investigations actually cleared the vaccines from causing the problems.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

"Again and again we have seen that taking the right actions quickly means the outbreak can be managed." Ridiculous to hear these words coming from Tedros and WHO. I wonder why he was praising China back in February knowing that the CCP was reprimanding doctors who spoke about the pandemic. He even flew over to China (photo of him smiling and shaking hands with Xi). He was also against travel restrictions from and to China. What an incompetent man! He is responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions of people. He SHOULD resign and there should be a serious reform within WHO.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

What this shameless tedros has not resigned yet he approves only TCM of CCP Vaccine like he accepted CCP money n virus

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Some people on this platform are downvoting FACTS. Ridiculous really! This goes to show how much some are influenced by fake news and disinformation. Saddening!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

At least this doesn't happen here, unfortunately the opposite is true, for some people anything bad that happens to someone that was vaccinated has to be because of the vaccine. Congenital malformation? because of the vaccine, traffic accident? also. Another completely unrelated infection? sure, why not.

Listen here, virusrex. When I was five, I got a tetanus shot. Now, over twenty years later, I have athlete's foot. and you're saying this is a coincidence?????

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It seems like I have had a hundred different shots over my lifetime, and now I face the threat of dying of old age.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

WHO said What? When and HOW. WHO cares?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Scapegoating is a human trait that will always rear it's ugly head when things

go wrong even when it is clearly obvious who the culprit is.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What is it with this fixation over partisan issues?

How is it a fixation to point out that the only people who have a problem with the WHO are from a single political party from a single nation? In particular, a party that has completely abandoned any pretense of trying to manage the virus. You don't think that observation has any validity? I'd say it is a case-in-point of why they attack the WHO - it's the favorite tactic of their Dear Leader when someone comes at him for something he's fouled up; he attacks someone else to divert the attention.

Remember how those same people, the only people who complain about the WHO, also use to talk about "personal responsibility", but then abandon any of it for their leader or anything he's said?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"How is it a fixation to point out that the only people who have a problem with the WHO are from a single political party from a single nation?"

It is a fixation because it is not true. Sure they may have an agenda in diverting the blame towards WHO to hide their own failures, but the fact is that it is not just people from that party from that country who have a problem with the way WHO and it's head have handled this crisis. I already gave my own reservations, and below is a text from a question asked in the EU parliament -

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2020-002279_EN.html

Some more -

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/what-about-who-on-failures-of-containment-of-covid-19/article32006790.ece

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/why-world-health-organization-failed/610063/

Surely you would agree that The Atlantic does not favor Dear Leader but the article does mention a few valid things -

"In July 2017, China moved aggressively to elect its current leadership."

So you see no problem with the fact that the current head of WHO owes his position in a lot of ways to China?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"You didn't put anything in your post to refute anything I said."

I did, maybe you are too lazy to read through the 3 different articles from people from 3 different countries which prove my point or maybe you don't want to take off those partisan lenses of yours. So let me help you somewhat with points from The Atlantic which has never been too kind on the Dear Leader -

"the WHO decided to stick disturbingly close to China’s official positions, including its transparent cover-ups"

"This mission-driven WHO would not have brazenly tweeted, as late as January 14, that preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission"

"Taiwan and Hong Kong succeeded because they ignored, contradicted, and defied the official position and the advice of the WHO on many significant issues. This is not a coincidence, but a damning indictment of the WHO’s leadership."

"A mission-driven WHO would not have repeatedly praised China for its transparency, (when it was anything but) nor would it have explicitly criticized travel bans when they were being imposed on China but remained silent when China imposed them on other nations."

So to come back to your original assertion that it is only folks from one party from one country who have a problem with WHO, no that is not the case since even a liberal publication from your own country has criticized the WHO and its leader.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Make a fool of me once, you're bad. Make a fool of me twice, my bad.

WHO, who should be primarily focused on people's health, lost credibility when they played China's game. So, WHO may have initially fooled a lot of folks, but - I - won't believe anything they have to say ref: covid-19.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I did, maybe you are too lazy to read through the 3 different articles from people from 3 different countries which prove my point

No, I'm just not going to make someone's point for them. When I make an argument using an external source to support it, I put my argument down, and link to the external source. I don't just say "I'm right, read this and figure out why!"

"the WHO decided to stick disturbingly close to China’s official positions, including its transparent cover-ups"

Ok, so you feel they should have gone political instead? And how does the loss of funding from China help the health of the world?

"This mission-driven WHO would not have brazenly tweeted, as late as January 14, that preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission"

Ahh, the old 'I can see clearly with hindsight. They are evil for not being able to see as well at the time as I can see now with hindsight' argument.

Which of course is a total fallacy.

Anyways, you still haven't shown any group other than a single political party in a single nation which is criticizing the WHO. That same party who has entirely fouled up their response to Covid.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

WHO, who should be primarily focused on people's health, lost credibility when they played China's game.

So you feel they should have gone political and pushed the point that Taiwan is a country? And how should they have dealt with the lost funding from China then? Where is it supposed to come from in replacement?

So many people have answered Trump's dog whistle on the WHO, without having a clue about how the WHO works. The quote above literally states that the WHO should be focused on health, and goes on to state how they should have been political. How are they supposed to do both of these things, hmm?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Strangerland Since you prefer arguing over reading a very balanced article from a respected centre-left publication from your own country

You didn't post any articles from my country.

The WHO failed because it is not designed to be independent. Instead, it’s subject to the whims of the nations that fund it and choose its leader.

Exactly what I said - they are dependent upon funding, and therefore cannot afford to make politically controversial statements.

Other countries can step up and replace the funding that China provides if they so want. America has chosen to remove themselves from the WHO altogether, come July 2021, so they don't get a say in it at all.

After that point, I'll be thankful to the Chinese for funding an organization out there to look out for the health of the world. While I watch America rot with disease due to anti-vaxxers and WHO haters.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So you feel they should have gone political and pushed the point that Taiwan is a country? And how should they have dealt with the lost funding from China then?

Funding is important, but a very secondary reason why the WHO cannot directly confront countries, the real "hostage" is the voluntary cooperation that the WHO needs to function.

China has no need for WHO for anything else but (weak) validation, on the other hand the WHO is completely dependent on the cooperation from China in order to deal with the huge lot of problems that come from there. COVID-19 is the latest one, and the most important until now, but there are tons of pathogens that are identified every year that bring clues about what is what is coming to make havoc in the future.

What if the WHO confronted China and the country closed borders to all information? at the end many countries wasted the opportunity to act on time with reasonable measures, but many others did and fared much better thanks to this information. The primary responsibility of the WHO is to get the information to prevent as many unnecessary deaths as possible. People working on public health of every country know how necessary is to get the info fast.

The WHO options were to present a cool and firm front and get absolutely nothing from China or to be perceived as weak and submissive but give a chance to the world to get as much preparation as possible.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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