UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for the word to adopt a global vaccination programe to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I urge world leaders to fully support the Global Vaccination Strategy I launched with the World Health Organization (WHO) last month. We need to get vaccines into the arms of 40 per cent of people in all countries by the end of this year — and 70 per cent by mid-2022.”, he said on Wednesday.

“Today, the human family crosses a painful new threshold — 5 million lives lost to COVID-19.  These are not numbers on a page.  They are mothers and fathers.  Brothers and sisters.  Daughters and sons.  Family, friends and colleagues.  Lives cut short by a merciless virus that respects no borders.

This devastating milestone reminds us that we are failing much of the world.  While wealthy countries are rolling out third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, only about 5 per cent of people in Africa are fully vaccinated.

This is a global shame.  Five million deaths should also stand as a clear warning:  we cannot let our guard down.  We are still seeing more deaths.  Overcrowded hospitals and exhausted health workers.  And the risk of new variants spreading and claiming more lives.”

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Meanwhile, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that it was time to talk about mandatory vaccination. “My personal position is… I think it is understandable and appropriate to lead this discussion now,” she told a media conference, underlining that a third of the EU population of 450 million was still unvaccinated.

“How we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union? This needs discussion. This needs a common approach. But it is a discussion that I think has to be led,” she said.