The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it was still conducting its safety review of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine as more European countries have suspended the use of this jab following reports that some recipients developed blood clots and died after being inoculated.
However, he added that "this does not necessarily mean these events are linked to vaccination, but it's routine practice to investigate them and it shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place".
He emphasized that the WHO's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety has been reviewing the available data, is in close contact with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and will meet on 16 March, Tuesday.
Tedros said that "the greatest threat that most countries face now is lack of access to vaccines", as "some of the world's richest countries are buying enough vaccines to immunise their populations several times over", while many other countries have nothing.
"No country can simply vaccinate its way out of this pandemic alone. We are all in this together," he said.
(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT).
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)